Shafali Verma repaid the faith reposed in her by the team management and selectors by breaking her three-year fifty duck in the final of the 2025 Women’s World Cup. Shafali reached her fifty in 49 balls as she gave India a flying start to their innings in the summit clash against South Africa.
Shafali was brought into the team after Pratika Rawal suffered a tournament-ending injury, but her contribution in the semi-finals was not up to par. The opener was dismissed for 10 off 5 balls in the clash against Australia, with expectations high for her during the match on Sunday, November 2.
IND vs SA, Women’s World Cup Final live
India got off to a slow start when she was first through the maiden, but then Shafali started picking up the pace. She got a boundary in the second over and looked to be in good touch. She followed it up with another in the third over.
Shafali received a couple more passes from her DC teammate Marizanne Kapp and continued to keep tabs on the score. She stood on 104 runs with Smriti Mandhana to break the record for most runs by an Indian batsman in a single edition.
There was a brief period when India’s run rate slowed down a bit as South Africa’s left-arm spinners came into play. Shafali broke the shackles with a six off De Klerk in the 15th over and slowly reached her fifty with a couple of singles.
Shafali was lucky to be batting on 56 when she was dropped by Anneke Bosch at deep mid-wicket.
Shafali’s last fifty came against Sri Lanka in July 2022, after which she suffered a lean patch that saw her omitted from the ODI squad.
– The end
Published on:
November 2, 2025
