India, Nov. 3 -- On the biggest stage of her young career, Shafali Verma found her spark in a brief yet powerful encounter with the legend himself - Sachin Tendulkar. The 21-year-old opener, who was drafted into India's squad only a week before the ICC Women's World Cup final, produced a performance to remember as India lifted their first-ever Women's World Cup title after defeating South Africa in a thrilling finale on Sunday.

Shafali smashed a dazzling 87 off 78 balls, setting the platform for India's imposing total of 298/7, and later chipped in with two crucial wickets to turn the tide in India's favour during South Africa's chase. But according to the young star, the turning point for her confidence came hours before the match - whe...