27 Facts About Shafali Verma

Shafali Verma was born on 28 January 2004 and is an Indian cricketer who plays for the women's national cricket team.

Shafali Verma has an older brother, Sahil, and a younger sister, Nancy.

Shafali Verma's father is a fan of "cricketing god" Sachin Tendulkar, and often watched videos of Tendulkar's innings with Shafali Verma and her brother.

In late 2013, Shafali Verma went, for the first time, to Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Lahli, a small town near Rohtak, with her father to see Mumbai playing a Ranji Trophy group fixture against Haryana.

At around that time, Shafali Verma's father took steps to enrol her in a cricket academy in Rohtak.

Shafali Verma was not permitted to compete in the Academy's male-only tournaments.

Shafali Verma disguised herself as her brother when he was unable to participate in an U-12 cricket tournament due to illness.

Shafali Verma was less successful in the classroom, and failed her Class X exams.

Shafali Verma then moved to Class X at Mandeep Senior Secondary School, Rohtak, which is run by the same management.

Shafali Verma made her WT20I debut for India at the age of fifteen, against South Africa, on 24 September 2019.

Shafali Verma 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.

Shafali 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 Shafali Verma was named the player of the match after scoring 159 runs in her two innings.

Shafali Verma made her WODI debut for India, against England, on 27 June 2021.

Shafali Verma was signed by Birmingham Phoenix for the first season of The Hundred.

Shafali Verma was the high scorer in Tests of the series, 7th in the ODIs, and finally 7th in T20s.

Shafali Verma played for Sydney Sixers in the 2021 WBBL, where she scored her maiden fifty against Hobart Hurricanes.

Shafali Verma scored 205 off 197, forming a 292 opening partnership.

Shafali Verma 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.

Shafali Verma became the second Indian after former captain Mithali Raj to score a double century in Test cricket, nearly 22 years after Raj's feat.

Shafali Verma reached her milestone with back-to-back sixes off off-spinner Delmi Tucker, followed by a single.

Shafali Verma's brilliant knock finally came to an end when she was run out for 205 off 197 balls.

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

Mithali Raj, who later captained her in both domestic and international matches, first watched her playing in a domestic match between Haryana and Railways, during which Shafali Verma scored a half century.

Shafali Verma has learnt to expand her striking arc, worked on running between the wickets and a nagging weakness for the short ball, and even her hairstyles.

In March 2024, after leading her Capitals team to victory with a half century in a WPL match, Shafali Verma commented that she had changed a few things and felt more stable at the crease.

Shafali Verma felt able to hit her shots clearly, and find gaps in the field, although she did not elaborate.