Shafali Verma

Shafali Verma (born 28 January 2004) is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Indian women's national cricket team. In 2019, at the age of 15, she became the youngest cricketer to play in a Women's Twenty20 International (T20I) match for India. In June 2021, she became the youngest player, male or female, to represent India in all three formats of international cricket. On 8 October 2022, she became the youngest cricketer to complete 1,000 runs in T20 Internationals. Under her captaincy, India won the 2023 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup. She was named as Player of the Match in the finals of the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup.

Early life and education Verma was born in Rohtak, Haryana, to father Sanjeev Verma She has an older brother, Sahil, (or Nensi In 2019, she told Hindustan Times:

Despite her successes at training, Verma had to endure mocking and taunts from neighbours and relatives about her involvement in a game they considered to be for boys. In response, she told her father that one day they would all be chanting her name. In September 2019, she was named in India's Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) squad for their series against South Africa. She made her WT20I debut for India at the age of fifteen, against South Africa, on 24 September 2019. She was the youngest player to play for India in a T20I match, and in November 2019 against the West Indies, became the youngest half-centurion for India in international cricket. Against the West Indies, she scored 158 runs in five matches, and was named the player of the series.

In January 2020, she was named in India's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia, and was awarded with a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Ahead of the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, she was ranked as the number one batter in women's T20I cricket.

In May 2021, she was named in India's Test and Women's One Day International (WODI) squads for their series against the England women's cricket team. Verma made her Test debut on 16 June 2021, for India against England, scoring 96 runs in her first Test innings. The Test match was drawn, and Verma was named the player of the match after scoring 159 runs in her two innings. Verma made her WODI debut for India, against England, on 27 June 2021. She was signed by Birmingham Phoenix for the first season of The Hundred.

In July 2021, she played in India's tour of England. In the one-off Test, she was named the Player of the Match, scoring a 96 off 152 in the first innings then a 63 off 83 in the second. In the first ODI, she scored 15 off 14, then a crucial 44 off 55 in the second. In the third and last ODI, she scored 19 off 29. In the first T20, she was bowled off the second ball of the innings. In the second T20, she scored 48. In the third and final T20, she was once again bowled in the first over. She was the high scorer in Tests of the series, 7th in the ODIs, and finally 7th in T20s.

She played for Sydney Sixers in the 2021 WBBL, where she scored her maiden fifty against Hobart Hurricanes. In January 2022, she was named in India's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. In July 2022, she was named in India's team for the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

In the 2023 Women's Premier League Auction, she was sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore. In her first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, she scored her maiden fifty, scoring 84 runs in just 45 balls.

In July 2024, she participated in a one-off test between India and South Africa. She scored 205 off 197, forming a 292 opening partnership (see below).

She was named in the India squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup and their home ODI series against New Zealand in October 2024.

She played a pivotal role in the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup victory. Brought in to replace an injured Pratika Rawal in the semi-final game against Australia, Shafali shone with her performance in the final against South Africa, top-scoring with 84 off 78 balls, setting the tone for a respectable total of 298 that India eventually compiled in their quota of 50 overs. She also rolled her arm over when defending the total and took two crucial wickets at an important juncture of the decider, to be adjudged the Player of the Match.

Shafali became the second Indian after former captain Mithali Raj to score a double century in Test cricket, nearly 22 years after Raj's feat. Mithali had scored 214 off 407 balls during the drawn second Test against England at Taunton in August 2002.Throughout her aggressive innings, Shafali struck an impressive 23 fours and eight sixes. She reached her milestone with back-to-back sixes off off-spinner Delmi Tucker, followed by a single. Her brilliant knock finally came to an end when she was run out for 205 off 197 balls.

Playing style Verma is a right-handed opening batter with a prominent bat-swing who occasionally bowls right arm offbreaks.

In the same article, Narayanan observed:

"Starting out, Shafali was a twitchy teenager at the crease, constantly moving around in trying to find a way to dispatch the ball out of the ground. This also threw up errors in judgement of line and length at times which triggered a dismissal." She was also said to have a cover drive "from the book." She had also, she said, been encouraged by all of her national team-mates, coaches and support staff. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her coach Ashwini Kumar set up nets and a bowling machine for her in his backyard, so that she could have supplementary batting training. Additionally, in early 2021, she attended a training camp with the Haryana men's team, at which she was given assistance with her back-foot game, and in dealing with bouncers.