Introspection, Analyzing Australians: How Shafali Verma Became a Regular Machine

21-year-old Shafali Verma was at her best again with a 55-ball knock to help India seal the T20I series against Zimbabwe on Sunday, October 18.

Shafali’s dominant innings helped India win the match by nine wickets, with the opener again showing the form and consistency she has enjoyed in T20I cricket in recent months. After the match, Shafali revealed how introspection and analysis of Australia’s batsmen helped her work on becoming a more consistent scorer.

“In 2025, when I was back home, I was thinking about what I could improve on. Consistency was one of those things and I analyzed the Australian batsmen to see what they were doing to try and improve,” Shafali said during the post-match presentation.

It was a revealing admission from a batsman whose explosive approach has rarely been doubted but whose consistency has come under scrutiny. Shafali has always been able to take a match away from the opposition but lost her place in India’s ODI side ahead of the Women’s World Cup in 2025 during a difficult period.

However, since returning to the international squad as an injury replacement during the tournament, Shafali has put together an impressive run of performances. She played a crucial role in India’s first Women’s ODI World Cup triumph before taking her form to the Women’s Asia Cup and Asian Games, where she scored her maiden T20I century against Bangladesh in the semi-finals.

WHEN THE RUNS STOPPED COMING

Shafali burst onto the international scene as a teenager, with her fearless attitude and ability to take on bowlers making her one of India’s most exciting batting prospects. However, her returns were inconsistent and the selectors eventually opted for a more reliable opening combination ahead of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.

Pratika Rawal established herself alongside Smriti Mandhan and offered India a steady source of runs at the top of the order. Rawal scored 308 runs in six group stage innings at an average of 51.33 during the World Cup, including a century against New Zealand that helped India reach the semi-finals.

Shafali, meanwhile, was left out of the original squad announced in August. For a player whose ability to dominate attacks was rarely in doubt, the omission underlined the importance of consistent delivery at international level.

She returned to domestic cricket and continued to work on a comeback. Her opportunity came in unexpected circumstances when Rawal suffered an injury while coming on against Bangladesh in India’s final group stage match and was ruled out of the rest of the tournament.

WORLD CUP LIFELINE

Shafali was named as a replacement for Rawal ahead of the semi-final against Australia. She hadn’t played an ODI for India for a year and was suddenly thrust into the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Against Australia, they managed just 10 runs in the semi-final, but India advanced to the final, giving them another opportunity to make a mark.

Shafali produced a match-winning performance against South Africa in the title clash. She scored 87 off 78 balls, sharing an opening century stand with Mandhana, before taking two wickets to dismiss Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp. India won by 52 runs to claim their first Women’s ODI World Cup title, with Shafali named Player of the Match.

The performance was a dramatic comeback for the batsman who had not made India’s original World Cup squad. It also gave her an opportunity to gain momentum after a difficult spell, with the final showing both her batting ability and her value as a bowling option.

CONSISTENT RUNNING

Shafali carried that form into the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup, scoring 64 against Thailand, 28 against Hong Kong, 12 against Pakistan, 64 against Bangladesh and 68 against Sri Lanka. Although she scored low throughout the tournament, she repeatedly provided India with fast starts as the team went on to win the title.

She continued to push herself at the Asian Games in Japan. Shafali scored an unbeaten 40 off 15 balls against hosts Japan before bringing up her maiden T20I century against Bangladesh in the semi-final. Her 100 not out off 49 balls, including nine sixes, helped India post 195 for four. She then scored 48 in the final against Sri Lanka as India retained the gold medal.

Her latest performance against Zimbabwe was another example of how she can impress at the top of the order. Shafali’s 55 off 25 balls, along with Mandhan’s unbeaten 47, helped India chase down the target of 103 in just 11.5 overs.

India captain Mandhana was delighted to see Shafali perform in the crucial match.

“Shafali was just doing her thing and I was happy taking singles. And when my chances came, I took them. That’s the mark we want to play,” said Mandhana.

Shafali’s own explanation for her improvement points to the work she’s been doing off the field. Instead of relying solely on the aggressive approach that made her a prodigy, she identified consistency as an area to focus on and studied other batters in an effort to improve.

Offensive instincts remain central to her game, but her recent performances suggest she’s looking for ways to make them count more regularly. After a tough time missing out on India’s original World Cup squad, Shafali has turned the windfall into lasting form.

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