2LT National News

New Delhi [India], November 8 (ANI): The former Australia captain Meg Lanning praised India’s World Cup-winning duo of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues after India’s Women’s World Cup 2025 triumph.

Lanning had an encouraging assessment of Shafali, who was a last-minute entry into the tournament following an injury to regular opener Pratika Rawal. Shafali went on to perform with both bat and ball in the final, smashing a quickfire 87 before chipping in with two crucial wickets to derail the Proteas’ chase.

Lanning lauded Shafali for her no-fuss approach despite the big occasion.

‘I wasn’t surprised by the way she (Shafali) played at all. I think she’s been very successful over a few years now playing an aggressive style of cricket and looking to hit the ball really hard straight down the ground,’ Lanning said as quoted from ICC.

‘I watched a bit of her innings in the final and I could see very early on that she was trying to target the side screen down the ground and look to play with that vertical bat, and when she does that it’s pretty hard to stop,’ Lanning noted.

Rodrigues, another key figure in India’s campaign, finished as the team’s third-highest run-getter with 292 runs from eight innings.

Her contribution included a sparkling 127 not out in the semi-final against Australia, which helped India pull off a record chase against the No.1-ranked women’s ODI Team.

Lanning lauded Rodrigues’ ability to stay calm and composed in the high-pressure game.

‘I wanted Australia to win that game, to see Jemi perform like she did was really impressive, under a lot of pressure, for a number of different reasons,’ Lanning said.

‘But to be able to, on that stage, hold your nerve and guide the team home, not just get to the 100 and then leave it to other players. She took that responsibility and made sure she was there at the end,’ she concluded. (ANI)