“It felt like it was my day, but my focus was on executing my plans,” Shafali, 21, said at a media conference after India’s seven-wicket win to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.

It showed how the batter, always known for her fast start, is also working to stay on and build on the advantage. On a surface where the ball initially held up, Shafali resisted the temptation to go all out straightaway. Instead of playing forcing strokes, she worked the gaps, took singles and waited to take her team across the line.

“In the beginning, the ball was holding a lot,” she said. “So, I was trying one or two singles. After four or five overs, the ball started coming into my range.”

That assessment and discipline seems to mark a shift in approach. This was not the young Shafali who lived only in the highlights package. This is a batter reading the conditions and trusting that time at the crease would fetch results. When the ball finally started coming on to the bat, the acceleration was smooth. Boundaries came easily as she hit a match-winning, unbeaten 34-ball 69*.

“I felt more motivated that if I keep playing, it will keep coming on the bat.”

Shafali’s power has never been in doubt. However, what this innings suggested was a growing comfort with knowing when to absorb pressure and when to release it. In T20 cricket, especially with a World Cup looming, that balance can be the difference between cameos and match-defining innings. Her growing experience has aided in this subtle transition. “This cricket experience keeps giving,” Shafali said. “I’m living in that experience and learning something from it day by day.”

The last year seems to have helped her mature as a batter. Out of the ODI set-up after a string of poor scores, she piled on the runs in the domestic circuit. In spite of not being even in the travelling reserves for India, she was recalled only as an injury replacement to opener Pratika Rawal ahead of the semi-final. Her performances for Haryana though provided the team management with a ready replacement when Pratika injured her leg while fielding late in the tournament.

The rest was history. She delivered a performance and comeback to remember in the final, emerging the player of the match courtesy her 87 and 2/36 against South Africa.

Her philosophy now seems to be shaped by those phases where outcomes and her next steps were uncertain. Reflecting on her journey, she spoke about focusing on hard work when everything else was uncontrollable.

“I felt very confident. From the way I worked this year, I saw the results in the final. I’m very happy that even when things were not in my control, I focused only on hard work,” she said. “Hard work always pays off. I’ve experienced that. In 2023 as well I experienced it. Going into the T20 World Cup, it will be important.”

That belief now underpins a quieter confidence. One that isn’t flashy, but shows up in execution. This new version of Shafali is still explosive, but no longer rushed. Although T20 is a format that rewards immediacy, Shafali’s patience makes for an exciting ingredient.