There were 7 fours. Forget not, there were 2 sixes in there as well. And a lot more spent in collecting the white ball by the Protea fielders than was taken by the one making them do the hard yards in exterminating the bowlers’ hopes of sending her back to the pavilion; Shafali Verma’s timely, courageous and brilliant 87 that came off 78 deliveries did lay the foundation for India’s big win in the 2025 ODI World Cup finals.
In all, the bottle rocket with the bat lasted for 101 minutes at the crease. Shafali Verma ended up compiling the highest individual score for a team in which her own participation was suspect and in the DY Patil game’s case, subject to Pratika Rawal’s injury. The right hander who had scored some dazzling runs for India this very World Cup, lest it is forgotten, had been opening for the side before the Haryana Hurricane stepped in to fill in for India’s in-form batter up top.
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Perhaps it is here, in this very instance, where Shafali’s explosive knock, and a decisive one at that becomes pertinent.
Not only does the right hander’s 87 prove the fact that the team doesn’t have to worry should the brilliant Smriti Mandhana doesn’t score too many, there’s more. It also serves a humble reminder to fans that seasoned veterans like Harmanpreet Kaur too, can relax a bit since further up the order there’s one of Sachin Tendulkar’s huge admirers who does score in a fashion that would put a smile on the Little Master’s face.
In 101-minutes of pure daring and clinical batting, which truth be told, wasn’t all about hitting, Shafali Verma actually ended up increasing India’s problems.
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While there’s Pratika Rawal, a great find for our country, there’s also Yastika Bhatia and now, Shafali Verma, fully geared up as too will the other two. Though, in reality, it isn’t just a challenge to endure as it is one to relish. Not that hard to understand, by the way.
A joy it is to note that with Smriti Mandhana on the one hand, Team India have three other capable, reliable and proven game changing batters at the other end. Not the kind of luxury that say a struggling and still-very-much-in-the-process-of-rebuilding have- isn’t it?