Shafali Verma is an Indian opening batter from Rohtak, Haryana. She was Player of the Match in the final as India won the 2025 Women's World Cup, and in September 2026 she hit a 49-ball century in the Asian Games semi-final against Bangladesh as India won gold again. She plays for Delhi Capitals in the Women's Premier League.
 |
Full Name: | Shafali Verma |
|
Profession: | Cricketer (opening batter) |
|
Date of Birth: | January 28, 2004 (age 22) |
|
Birthplace: | Rohtak, Haryana, India |
|
Nationality: | Indian |
|
Jersey No.: | ODI: #17 , T20I: #17 |
|
Mother: | Parveen Bala |
|
Father: | Sanjeev Verma |
|
Siblings: | Brother Sahil and sister Nancy |
|
Batting Style: | Right Handed Bat |
|
Bowling style: | Right-arm offbreak |
|
Teams: | India, Haryana, Delhi Capitals |
|
T20I debut: | September 24, 2019 v South Africa |
|
Test debut: | June 16, 2021 v England |
|
ODI debut: | June 27, 2021 v England |
Shafali Verma's Cricket Stats
Her best scores in each format, as of November 2026, are below. Her T20I total passed 3,000 runs on September 5, 2026, in the Women's T20 Asia Cup match against Pakistan, which made her the fastest and youngest to reach that mark in women's T20Is.
| Format | Highest score | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Test | 205 | v South Africa, June-July 2024 |
| ODI | 87 | v South Africa, 2025 World Cup final |
| T20I | 100* | v Bangladesh, 2026 Asian Games semi-final |
Shafali Verma's Biography
Shafali Verma grew up in Rohtak, where there were few facilities for girls to train in cricket. She broke into the India team at just 15 years of age. She made her T20I debut on 24th September 2019, and five months later, in February 2020, she became the number one T20I batter in the ICC rankings with 761 points.
Also Read: Harmanpreet Kaur Biography
Shafali Verma's Domestic Career
Cricket was not Shafali's first love until she went to watch a Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Haryana in 2013, when she was nine. Her father, an ardent fan of Sachin Tendulkar, took her to watch him bat. Shafali has said that Tendulkar is her idol.
There was no academy for girls in Rohtak, and no academy agreed to train her with boys. Her father, Sanjeev Verma, cut her hair short and enrolled her as a boy. In 2013, when her brother fell sick and could not play in a local tournament in Panipat, she played in his place. She was named man of the match and man of the tournament. She later started turning up for practice with the Haryana team.
Also Read: Mithali Raj Biography
Shafali Verma's International Career
# South Africa tour of India 2019: She played her first T20I against South Africa on 24th September 2019 and was out for a duck. In the fourth T20I she scored 46 off 33 balls while opening the batting, and India won by 51 runs.
# India tour of West Indies 2019: She scored 73 off 49 balls in the first T20I, including 6 fours and 4 sixes. In the following match she scored 69 off 35 balls. She finished as the highest run-getter in the series with 158 runs in five matches, at an average of 39.50, and was named Player of the Series.
# 2020 T20 World Cup: Opening the batting, Shafali was India's best batter in the tournament. Her scores read 29 (15), 39 (17), 46 (34), 47 (34) and 2 (3). She finished as India's highest run-getter with 163 runs in 5 matches. India reached the final, where they lost to Australia.
# Test and ODI debut, 2021: She made her Test debut against England on 16th June 2021 and was Player of the Match, with 159 runs across the two innings. She made her ODI debut against England on 27th June 2021. She became the youngest Indian to play in all three formats.
# Medals, 2022 and 2023: She won silver with India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and gold at the 2022 Asian Games, which were held in 2023. She captained India to the Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup title in 2023.
# Double century, 2024: In June-July 2024 she scored 205 off 197 balls against South Africa in a Test. She became the second Indian woman, after Mithali Raj, to score a Test double century.
# 2025 Women's World Cup: Shafali was left out of India's World Cup squad at first and was added later as an injury replacement. In the final on 2nd November 2025 in Navi Mumbai, she scored 87 off 78 balls and took 2 wickets for 36 runs. India beat South Africa by 52 runs for their first Women's World Cup title, and Shafali was Player of the Match.
Shafali Verma in the Women's Premier League
Delhi Capitals bought Shafali for Rs 2 crore at the first WPL auction in 2023. They retained her for WPL 2026. On 17th January 2026 she scored 62 off 41 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. She became the youngest player to reach 1,000 runs in the WPL.
Shafali Verma at the 2026 Asian Games
India won gold in women's cricket at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, beating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final on 22nd September 2026. In the semi-final on 20th September she scored 100 not out off 49 balls against Bangladesh, her first T20I century and the first by a woman in Asian Games cricket. India won that match by 114 runs. In the final she opened with Smriti Mandhana in a 99-run stand. Later in September she passed Laura Wolvaardt's 824 runs to become the highest run-scorer in a calendar year in women's T20Is.
Shafali was also named in India's 15-member squad for the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup in England, which was held from June to July 2026.
Shafali in Women's T20 Challenge 2019
Shafali Verma attracted attention in the Women's T20 Challenge 2019 with her attacking stroke play.
Shafali Verma's Records & Achievements
1. Shafali Verma made her T20I debut at 15 against South Africa on 24th September 2019.
2. In November 2019 she became the youngest Indian woman to score a half-century in international cricket.
3. She was Player of the Series in the 2019 T20I series against West Indies.
4. She was India's highest run-getter at the 2020 T20 World Cup, her first ICC tournament, with 163 runs.
5. She received a central contract with the BCCI in 2020.
6. She became the youngest cricketer to reach 1,000 T20I runs, on 8th October 2022.
7. She was Player of the Match in the 2025 Women's World Cup final.
8. She hit the first century by a woman in Asian Games cricket, in September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Shafali Verma?
Shafali Verma is an Indian opening batter from Rohtak, Haryana, and was Player of the Match in India's 2025 Women's World Cup final win.
When was Shafali Verma born?
Shafali Verma was born on January 28, 2004 (age 22), in Rohtak, Haryana.
Who are Shafali Verma's parents?
Her father is Sanjeev Verma and her mother is Parveen Bala.
Does Shafali Verma have siblings?
Yes. She has a brother, Sahil, and a sister, Nancy.
What did Shafali Verma do in the 2025 Women's World Cup final?
She scored 87 off 78 balls, took 2 wickets for 36 runs and was Player of the Match as India beat South Africa by 52 runs.
Did Shafali Verma score a century at the 2026 Asian Games?
Yes. She scored 100 not out off 49 balls against Bangladesh in the semi-final on 20th September 2026, her first T20I century.
Which team does Shafali Verma play for in the WPL?
She plays for Delhi Capitals, who bought her for Rs 2 crore in 2023 and retained her for WPL 2026.
What is Shafali Verma's highest Test score?
Her highest Test score is 205, made against South Africa in June-July 2024.
When did Shafali Verma make her India debut?
She made her T20I debut against South Africa on 24th September 2019, aged 15.
What records does Shafali Verma hold?
She is the youngest cricketer to reach 1,000 T20I runs, and in September 2026 she became the fastest and youngest to reach 3,000 women's T20I runs.
