In a dramatic turn of events, Shafali Verma found herself unexpectedly called into India’s squad for the 2025 World Cup semi-final against Australia at the DY Patil Stadium. This last-minute inclusion came after the in-form opener Pratika Rawal was sidelined by injury. Speaking to reporters about her sudden recall, Verma shared a philosophical perspective. While expressing sympathy for Rawal’s unfortunate injury, she stated, “What happened with Pratika, as a sportsperson, it wasn’t a good thing. No one wants any sportsperson to sustain such an injury. But God has sent me here to do something good.”
True to her words, Verma delivered something truly special for the Women in Blue. In the highly anticipated final against South Africa, with 45,000 roaring fans in the stadium and billions more watching globally, the 21-year-old explosive batter justified the faith placed in her by the team management and the new selection committee of the Indian women’s team. She unleashed a scintillating, career-best innings of 87 runs off just 78 balls, featuring seven fours and two powerful sixes, primarily played in the ‘V’ zone. Partnering with vice-captain and star batter Smriti Mandhana (who scored 45 off 58 balls), Verma forged a crucial 104-run opening partnership in 106 deliveries, laying an ideal foundation for a formidable total on a batting-friendly pitch. This was a dream comeback, injecting immense excitement into a final already delayed by unseasonal rain. It felt as if a ‘Shafali storm’ had swept through the DY Patil Stadium right after the showers! As she walked off, Mandhana offered a warm pat on the back, acknowledging the young gun’s magnificent effort.
Verma’s confidence stemmed from her excellent domestic form. While captaining Haryana in the Senior National Women’s T20 tournament in Surat, she emerged as the leading run-scorer in the Senior Women’s T20 League, amassing 341 runs at an impressive strike rate of 182.35. Her return to the national side came after a year-long absence from India’s WODI team, with her last appearance being against New Zealand on October 29, 2024, in Ahmedabad. Although she showed flashes of brilliance in the semi-finals, hitting two fours in a quick five-ball 10, she was ultimately dismissed LBW by Australian pacer Kim Garth.
Following Shafali’s own belief, it truly seemed as though destiny had positioned her to deliver her finest performance in the World Cup final. Her remarkable innings of 87 now stands as the highest individual score by an Indian opening batter in any World Cup final — across both men’s and women’s, ODI or T20I formats. This record previously belonged to Punam Raut, who scored 86 against England in the 2017 Women’s World Cup final, and before that, men’s former opener Virender Sehwag’s 82 in the 2003 World Cup final against Australia. Furthermore, at just 21 years and 278 days old, she etched her name in history as the youngest player to score a half-century in a women’s ODI World Cup final.
Despite her unexpected selection for the Indian campaign, Shafali recounted being warmly welcomed by everyone in the camp. She shared, “All the players I have spoken to, the coach, captain and even Smriti di, they all said that I have to play my game. There is nothing to panic about and when I am getting this kind of freedom, I will try to respect the good balls and I will obviously hit those who are in my length (hitting range).”