Not in the team six days ago, drafted as replacement for an injury and crowned Player of the Match in India’s maiden Women’s World Cup triumph. Six days ago, Shafali Verma wasn’t even in India’s Women’s World Cup squad.
She wasn’t in the reserves either her name wasn’t on the list, her bags weren’t packed, and her phone had gone quiet. From being the poster girl of India’s youth revolution to suddenly finding herself on the sidelines, the 21-year-old from Rohtak had every reason to feel heartbroken.
But sport, as always, finds its own storytellers. And on a memorable night in Navi Mumbai, when India lifted their first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup, Shafali Verma stood in the middle of the DY Patil Stadium Player of the Match, bat in one hand, heart on sleeve, and tears in her eyes.
The script flipped when opener Pratika Raj suffered an injury in India’s final league match, forcing a last-minute change. Shafali was summoned as an emergency replacement her return quiet and uncelebrated. “I just wanted to be useful to the team,” she later said. But deep inside, she knew redemption stories are written only for those who refuse to stop believing.
In the semifinal, she struggled to find rhythm, scoring a scratchy 24 before getting out trying to force the pace. It looked like another false dawn in what had already been a turbulent year. Few outside the dressing room could have predicted what was to follow in the final against South Africa.
Walking out to bat with Smriti Mandhana, Shafali had the air of someone who had nothing left to lose. India were under pressure a World Cup final at home, a stadium full of expectation, and a decade of near-misses hanging heavy in the air. What followed was an innings of clarity and courage. Shafali began steadily, respecting the early swing, before opening up with trademark power. Her square cuts, pulls, and down-the-track lofts had the crowd on their feet. She wasn’t just playing shots she was exorcising ghosts.
Her 87 off 78 balls was more than a personal milestone; it was the statement of a player reborn. It became India’s highest individual score in a Women’s World Cup final, surpassing every innings before it. When she raised her bat after reaching fifty, there was no exuberance only quiet satisfaction. She knew she had done what few believed she could.
The Surprise Spell That Shocked Everyone
But Shafali’s night wasn’t over yet. With South Africa steadying after a couple of early wickets, captain Harmanpreet Kaur threw the ball to her part-time off-spinner a move that drew both gasps and chuckles in the commentary box.
For Shafali, it was a moment that could have gone either way. Instead, it became the turning point of the final.
In her very first over, she deceived Sune Luus with a dipping off-break that crashed into the stumps. The crowd roared the gamble had paid off. And before anyone could process it, she struck again, trapping Marizanne Kapp plumb in her second over. Her first spell 3 overs, 8 runs, 2 wickets may not sound earth-shattering on paper, but in context, it changed the game. It broke South Africa’s momentum, dented their confidence, and handed India control. What was seen as a desperate experiment turned into a tactical masterstroke.
From Omission to Ovation
By the time India closed out the match, Shafali had done enough to ensure her name would be remembered for generations. As the stadium lights shimmered and teammates celebrated around her, her Player of the Match award felt like poetic justice a triumph of resilience over rejection. In one match, she went from “not good enough to make the squad” to “match-winner in a World Cup final.” Her all-round performance 87 runs and 2 wickets echoed the spirit of 2011’s Yuvraj Singh, whose all-round brilliance had powered India’s men’s team to World Cup glory.
As destiny would have it, Deepti Sharma named Player of the Tournament for her consistent brilliance joined Shafali in completing the parallel. India had found its Yuvraj moment in women’s cricket, and its own fearless generation of champions.
Shafali’s journey to this night has been anything but straightforward. Dropped from all formats earlier in 2024 after a dip in form, she went back to domestic cricket quietly, working on her temperament and shot selection. The spotlight had moved elsewhere newer names were being groomed for the next phase. But Shafali refused to fade away.
When destiny called, she was ready. “Sometimes, all you need is one more chance,” she said in her post-match interview, her voice trembling with emotion. That one chance turned into a night of redemption and possibly, rebirth.
Double Champion at 21
The victory also etched her name in history alongside Richa Ghosh — the two became the first women cricketers ever to win both the U19 and Senior Women’s World Cups.
From lifting the U19 trophy in 2023 as captain to standing at the centre of India’s maiden senior triumph in 2025, Shafali’s rise has come full circle. At just 21, she now has two world titles and an indelible legacy.
Cricket has always been about moments that define eras Kapil in 1983, Dhoni in 2011, and now Harmanpreet and Shafali in 2025. Shafali Verma’s story will be remembered not just as a performance, but as a reminder that comebacks are built in silence, redemption arrives without warning, and destiny rewards those who keep faith.
Six days ago, she wasn’t even supposed to be here. Tonight, she is a World Champion, a Player of the Match, and the heartbeat of Indian cricket’s greatest night.
The world is at her feet.
