(November 6, 2025) At 21 years and 278 days, Shafali Verma has etched her name into cricketing history, becoming the youngest player across both men’s and women’s ODI World Cup finals to score a 50. At the DY Patil Stadium, the Haryana-born powerhouse unleashed her trademark aggression against South Africa, lighting up the final with a blistering 87 off 78 balls.
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Considering the barriers Shafali shattered to chase her cricketing dream, this milestone shines even brighter. As a child in Rohtak, she once disguised herself as her brother—who was unwell—to play in an under-12 national school championship, walking away with the Player of the Match trophy. That fearless spirit carried her all the way to becoming India’s youngest international cricketer at just 15, and later, the youngest to represent the country across all three formats by the age of 17. Every milestone since has been a continuation of that same defiance—the refusal to be told what girls can’t do on a cricket field.
A record-breaking knock
Shafali’s innings was built on confidence from the start. Opening alongside Smriti Mandhana, she stitched a 104-run partnership that gave India the perfect launchpad for a total of 298. Every shot from the fierce square cut to the audacious loft over cover displayed the swagger of the player. Her landmark half-century made her the youngest ever to reach 50 in a World Cup final, surpassing Australia’s Jessica Duffin (23 years, 235 days) and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt (24 years, 337 days).
In the process, Shafali also broke a record once held by her idol’s contemporary Virender Sehwag for the youngest Indian to score 50 in an ODI World Cup final. Like Sehwag, she plays with an uninhibited flair, and on this historic day, she embodied the same attacking spirit that once defined Indian batting.
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A girl who dared to dream
The story of Shafali Verma is one of courage wrapped in grit. Long before the world saw her raise her bat in a World Cup final, an 11-year-old Shafali had to disguise herself as her brother to play in the under-12 national school championship, an act of rebellion that won her the Player of the Match award and marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey.
Her father, Sanjeev Verma, a jewellery shop owner in Rohtak and a cricketer at heart, saw something special in his daughter. Determined to nurture her gift, he trained her himself, often rewarding her ₹5 for every six she hit. “I am who I am today because of my father. He has always been the most supportive and friendly dad in the world,” Shafali once wrote a heartfelt tribute to the man who stood behind her dream when few others did.
The making of a prodigy
At just 15, Shafali became the youngest Indian to play international cricket, debuting in a T20I series where she smashed her way to 158 runs in five matches, earning Player of the Series honours. Against the West Indies, she became the youngest Indian to score a half-century, a record that announced her arrival on the world stage.
By 17, she had represented India in all three formats, joining the ranks of legends before she even became an adult. Her selection for the 2022 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand was a natural progression, the culmination of years of disciplined practice and unyielding ambition.
Inspired by the Little Master
For Shafali, cricket was never just a game. It was a calling ignited by her childhood idol Sachin Tendulkar. “The reason I took up cricket is because of Sachin sir. My family has not just idolised but worshipped him,” she once said. Growing up watching Tendulkar’s farewell match in Haryana, she vowed to one day make the nation proud the way he had.
Her aggressive yet elegant reflects that same balance of fearlessness and focus. And now, with records tumbling and milestones being rewritten, Shafali’s journey seems like a continuation of that legacy.
Shafali Verma with childhood idol Sachin Tendulkar
The new face of Indian cricket
In a country where cricketing heroes have often emerged from the unlikeliest of places, Shafali Verma’s story adds another inspiring chapter. From dusty grounds in Rohtak to the grand stage of a World Cup final, her rise speaks of India’s changing sporting landscape, one where young girls no longer have to hide behind identities to chase their dreams.
At 21, Shafali represents a new generation that plays on its own terms, fearlessly and unapologetically. Her 87 may not have turned into a century, but it was enough to cement her name in history. After all, some innings are remembered not for how long they last, but for how brightly they burn.
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