Shafali Verma started playing cricket at 8 years old. |
She once disguised as her brother Sahil Verma to substitute him in a boys cricket championship, outperformed the boys, and won the player of the tournament award. |
She was trained by her father, Sanjeev Verma, for the first three years of her cricket training. |
Her father took her to local grounds for practice, rewarding her 5 rupees for every six she hit. |
Shafali’s father aspired to be a cricketer but couldn't fulfill his dream due to limited opportunities and support. |
Initially, boys hesitated to play with her, assuming she would get hurt. |
She began playing matches disguised as a boy until her talent was recognized. |
At 9 years old in 2013, she watched Sachin Tendulkar play his last Ranji Trophy match, inspiring her to work hard to join the Indian cricket team. |
In 2016, she joined Ram Narayan Cricket Club in Rohtak and was later promoted to the Elite Group due to exceptional skills. |
She captained the Haryana Women’s Under-19 Cricket team in 2018. |
At 15, she was called up to India’s Women’s Twenty20 International squad. |
She made her T20I debut at 15 years and 239 days, becoming India's youngest female player in a T20 international match. |
Not long after her debut, she broke Sachin Tendulkar's 30-year-old record by scoring a fifty against West Indies in a T20 match. |
Her performances led to her inclusion in India’s squad for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. |
Shafali Verma attributes her success to her father. |
In January 2023, she led India to victory in the U-19 T20 World Cup. |
In February 2023, she was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore in the inaugural WPL auction. |