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OTD in 2019: When 15-year-old Shafali Verma gave India a glimpse of her fearless future

Soumyajit Dutta

Shafali Verma celebrating after her 30-ball fifty [Source: @gruesome_pundit/X.com]Shafali Verma celebrating after her 30-ball fifty [Source: @gruesome_pundit/X.com]

November 9, 2019, India Women vs West Indies Women and a young 15-year-old Shafali Verma ready to announce her arrival in the international landscape of Women's cricket. The powerhouse aggressor now, she had forecasted her shadow 6 years back at St Lucia, as she paired up with India great Smriti Mandhana to script the highest partnership record for her team.

The T20I at Gros Islet was something a young heart of fifteen years could only dream of. A short, but explosive statement from Verma, who executed her task with finesse and walked back with her head held high.

The knock of arrival from a 15-year-old Shafali

India Women came into bat first in the five-match affair against West Indies, where the November 9 contest was the curtain-raiser for the series. Young Shafali Verma walked in, and it was only her 5th T20I after she earned her maiden cap against Proteas Women where she fell horribly for a duck.

Verma started with a statement. Hayley Matthews, Chinelle Henry were all taken to the cleaners by the opening pair of Shafali and Smriti Mandhana, with the Women in Blue reaching an astonishing 77 after the powerplay. India Women looked unstoppable, and they were, to say the least. 

The record-breaking partnership between the opening pair!

Attacks on Shakera Selman and Anisa Mohammed continued as India reached 136 at the end of 15 overs. It was at this moment that the first breakthrough for the hosts came with Verma's wicket.

Mandhana and Verma looked composed and unbreakable with their 143-run stand from 93 balls when Selman, with her delivery, bamboozled Verma on the third ball of the 16th over to let Kyshona Knight grab a sitter.

The Shafali storm forecast was made six years ago! 

Nevertheless, Verma made a statement. An arrival with style that saw her score 73 runs from 49 balls as she reached her maiden T20I fifty from 30 balls. She also placed six boundaries and four sixes in her innings in regular intervals that further underlined what she was to become.

As of the match, Smriti Mandhana followed suit as she went back in the very next over with Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy standing last to see a total of 185 on board for India. Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav and Shikha Pandey completed the job with the ball as the hosts reached a sub-par 101/0 in their chase of 186.

Speaking of the sensation now, Shefali Verma, who played a match-winning knock of 87 runs in the final against South Africa in the Women's World Cup final on November 2, it was pure destiny. The 21-year-old who didn't even know whether she would be playing the World Cup or not, sparkled her blitz on probably the biggest cricket match of her life and shone just like she did six years back.