Shafali Verma is an Indian cricketer who plays for the India women's national cricket team as a right-handed opening batter. Known for her aggressive stroke play and ability to score quickly in the powerplay, she rose to international prominence as a teenager and became, at the time of her debut, one of the youngest players to represent India in women's international cricket.
| Full name | Shafali Verma |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 January 2004, Rohtak, Haryana, India |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm off break |
| Role | Opening batter |
| Domestic team | Haryana |
| International debut (T20I) | September 2019, vs South Africa |
| Test debut | June 2021, vs England |
| ODI debut | June 2022, vs Sri Lanka |
Shafali Verma was born and brought up in Rohtak, Haryana. She was introduced to cricket by her father, Sanjeev Verma, who recognised her interest in the sport at an early age. With limited opportunities for girls' cricket in her locality, she initially trained alongside boys at local academies in Rohtak. She has spoken publicly about cutting her hair short as a child to be allowed to participate in boys' cricket trials and matches.
An admirer of Sachin Tendulkar, she has cited a 2013 Ranji Trophy match in Lahli, Haryana, where she watched him bat in person, as a formative influence.
Verma made her senior domestic debut for Haryana in the Women's Senior One Day League. She emerged through the BCCI's age-group structure, performing consistently in inter-state competitions, which led to her selection for the senior India side. In the Women's Premier League (WPL), launched by the BCCI in 2023, she was acquired by Delhi Capitals and has served as one of their opening batters.
Verma made her T20I debut against South Africa in September 2019 at the age of 15, becoming the youngest Indian to play a women's T20I at the time. Within a year of her debut, she rose to the top of the ICC Women's T20I batting rankings, becoming the youngest player of any gender to occupy the No. 1 spot in an ICC ranking.
She was a key part of the Indian squad that reached the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia, where she was selected for the Team of the Tournament.
She made her Test debut against England at Bristol in June 2021, scoring fifties in both innings of the match. In the one-off Test against Australia at Carrara later in 2021, she contributed significant runs at the top of the order. In December 2023, during the one-off Test against England in Mumbai, she scored a double century, becoming the second Indian woman to do so in Test cricket.
Her ODI debut came against Sri Lanka in June 2022. She has since featured in major ICC events including the Women's Cricket World Cup.
Verma captained India in the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup held in South Africa in January 2023, leading the team to the title.
Verma is regarded as one of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball in women's cricket. She is particularly noted for her boundary-hitting in the powerplay overs, with a high strike rate against pace bowling. Analysts have often compared her batting approach to that of attacking top-order batters in men's white-ball cricket.
Verma has received recognition from the ICC, including selection in the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year and Team of the Tournament for the 2020 T20 World Cup. She has also been recognised by the BCCI through annual player retainers and awards for women's cricket.
Shafali Verma's emergence is considered a landmark moment for Indian women's cricket, particularly in expanding the role of aggressive top-order batting in the women's game. Her rise from small-town Haryana to international stardom is frequently cited in discussions on the growth of women's cricket in India and the impact of structural reforms such as the Women's Premier League.