Damn The Odds With Shafali Verma At DTU
Shafali Verma met students at DTU for an interactive session powered by Lenovo x Intel
What does it take to start playing international cricket at 15? And how do you stay confident when expectations keep rising?
Cricketer Shafali Verma met students at Delhi Technological University for a conversation about pressure, preparation and learning through setbacks. The session included three rounds: a host interaction, a student Q&A and a sustainability challenge judged by Shafali herself.
Here is what happened on campus.
From Cycling 12 Kilometres To Playing For India
Shafali began her cricket journey in Haryana by watching her brother practise. What started as curiosity soon became routine.
She said she cycled nearly 12 kilometres daily for practice because her family did not have strong financial support for sports training at the time. That commitment shaped her early discipline.
She entered international cricket at just 15. Instead of focusing on her age, she focused on improving her game.
She told students that she wanted to become the kind of player who could help take women’s cricket to the next level.
Learning To Adapt Without Losing Identity
Shafali also spoke about adjusting to new environments as her career took her abroad.
Coming from Haryana, she said she always felt proud of her roots and language. But she also recognised the importance of learning English while travelling internationally with the team.
She described this as part of adapting to new cultures rather than changing who she was.
The discussion also touched on how students today are learning technical skills like AI in their own languages through platforms supported by Lenovo and Intel, such as HCL-GUVI and Gignaati. Shafali said technology had become a useful support tool in her own training as well.
Shafali explained that video analysis tools helped her review performances and track areas for improvement.
She also used AI tools for motivation when she felt low and sometimes to quickly check statistics or match footage. According to her, keeping things simple helped her stay focused.
Failure, Pressure And Becoming “Shafali 2.0”
Students asked her about handling pressure as one of the youngest players in international squads.
Shafali said she reminded herself to believe in her ability even when playing alongside senior cricketers. She described self belief as a practical advantage rather than just a mindset idea.
She also reflected on setbacks like tournament losses and said failure helped her improve performance and push towards becoming what she called “Shafali 2.0”.
Her message to students was clear: setbacks can become part of progress.
A Physics Question And A Cricket Answer
During the Q&A session, students asked questions ranging from match pressure to physics concepts behind lofted shots.
Shafali explained that technique stayed central while batting. She said decision making often came down to whether a ball was in her range. If it was, she played aggressively. If not, she rotated strike.
Another student asked how to handle pressure when working with seniors. Shafali said she handled similar situations by repeating positive self-talk and focusing on performance rather than hierarchy.
Engineers Designed A Future Cricket Stadium
The final round transformed the session into a classroom challenge, where students teamed up to design more sustainable cricket stadium operations made easy and seamless with Lenovo's AI PCs, powered by the Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor.
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One team focused on water conservation methods such as rainwater harvesting and smart irrigation systems. Another team proposed solar powered energy solutions integrated into stadium infrastructure.
Shafali evaluated both presentations and highlighted cooling features and solar powered parking structures as useful ideas for Indian conditions.
She said she would invite both teams to contribute if she ever built a stadium herself and ultimately chose a winner.
This insightful session showed how conversations around sport, technology and learning are becoming more connected. Through discussions on training, failure and AI tools, students explored how athletes prepare and adapt while building their own skills for the future. As exam season approaches on campuses, many students also walked away with some much needed inspiration from Shafali Verma’s journey.
In collaboration with Lenovo
