Shafali Verma is a cricketer from India who competes for the country's women's national squad. She made history in 2019 by participating in India's women's Twenty20 international match at the age of 15. She represented India in all three international cricket formats in June 2021, making history as the youngest player, male or female, to do so. She surpassed 1,000 runs in T20 Internationals on October 8, 2022, becoming the sport's youngest player to do so.

Shafali scored 128 runs off 56 balls in one of the games against Nagaland. In the women's T20 Challenge conducted in May 2019, she competed for the side IPL Velocity under the guidance of seasoned player Mithali Raj, displaying her talent and establishing her presence. She was selected to play for the national team as a result of her outstanding performances, and on September 24, 2019, against South Africa, she played in her first T20 International.

Career

Shafali participated in the Women's T20 Challenge for Velocity before turning pro, scoring 34 runs in 31 balls. She was selected for India's Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) team in September 2019 in preparation for their series against South Africa. At the age of fifteen, she made her World Twenty20 debut for India on September 24 against South Africa. In November 2019 against the West Indies, she became the youngest half-centurion for India in international cricket, becoming the youngest player to represent India in a T20I match. She scored 158 runs in five games against the West Indies, winning player of the series honors.

She received a central contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India in January 2020 after being named to India's team for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia (BCCI). She was rated as the top batter in women's T20I cricket before the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

She was included in the teams for both the Women's One Day International (WODI) and Test matches India played against the England women's cricket team in May 2021. On June 16, 2021, Verma played in her first Test match for India against England and scored 96 runs. Verma scored 159 runs throughout two innings to earn player of the match honors in the Test match that ended in a tie.

On June 27, 2021, Verma played in her first Women's One Day International for India against England. The Birmingham Phoenix acquired her for the Hundred's inaugural season.

She competed in the 2021 WBBL with the Sydney Sixers, where she got her first fifty against the Hobart Hurricanes. She was selected to play for India in the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in January 2022. She was selected to play for India in the cricket competition at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, in July 2022.

Facts

• Shafali was selected for India's 15-player women's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia due to her powerful hitting and steady performances.
• Shafali Verma gives her father credit for her success.
• Shafali led the Haryana women's Under-19 cricket squad in 2018.
• Shafali, 15, was given her first call-up to the India Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) team for their series against South Africa in September due to her powerful hitting and remarkable skills.
• Shefali made her T20 international debut for India on September 24, 2019, at the age of 15 years and 239 days, making her the nation's youngest player ever.
• In a boys' cricket competition, Shafali Verma once pretended to be his brother Sahil Verma to replace him. She performed better than the boys and took home the player of the tournament prize.
• At the age of eight, Shafali Verma began playing cricket.
• The first three years of her cricket training were spent under her father's guidance. Sanjeev Verma, Shafali's father, escorted her to a nearby field where she practiced and gave her 5 rupees for every six she hit. Early on, Shafali's father harbored a similar desire to play cricket, but owing to a lack of resources and encouragement, he was unable to realize his goal.

Career statistics

Profile