Indian batsman Jemima Rodriguez A timely message has been revealed by the cricket icon. Sachin Tendulkar It helped him stay grounded after one of the biggest moments of his career.Rodriguez scored an unbeaten 127 against Australia in the semi-final of the Women’s ODI World Cup last year, helping India beat a dominant side and move closer to a historic first world title. But the excitement and attention that followed overwhelmed him emotionally.Speaking on JioHotstar, he recalled that Tendulkar was approached by his coach Prashant Shetty with an important reminder. “Sachin sir called my coach Prashant Shetty. He told him to tell me that he thinks the last two days have been a lot for me, the big innings against Australia in the semi-final, the joy of beating them.”Tendulkar’s message was simple: the team still had one more job to finish. “He said, ‘Try to put it aside and start from scratch’. That message really helped me regain my sanity,” she recalled.Rodriguez said the advice before the final changed his mindset, adding, “I understood that what you did before won’t win you the next match, you have to treat every match as a new beginning. This advice from a legend made me very clear before the final.”While Rodriguez starred in the semi-finals, the final against South Africa saw opener Shafali Verma take center stage. Shafali scored 87 runs and took two wickets to help India win the title.
Should players seek advice from legends to help them cope with stress?
The father’s voice provoked Shafali
Before the finals, Shafali received an encouraging voice note from her father during the two-day break.“He said, ‘Just work hard. Do your best on the field and it has to be in writing that Shafali Verma helped India win the World Cup’.”The message gave him extra motivation.“That vocal note gave me (some) extra fire. I knew I had to perform not only for myself, but for him and for the team. It made me give it my all on the field.”The defending ODI World Champions are now gearing up for their opening match against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in Birmingham.
