With shades of Sehwag, Shafali learns to blend maturity with aggression

For the Indian men’s team, Virender Sehwag changed the dynamics of batting in Test cricket. Regardless of the state of a match, the Nawab of Najafgarh used to be brave and play his shots without nurturing inhibitions. Numerous times, the dynamic opener took India off to flying starts, giving the middle-order batters a platform to capitalise on. For India Women, Shafali Verma is carving a similar niche for herself.
Earlier this year, Shafali smashed the fastest double hundred by an Indian woman in Tests in the one-off game against South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. She also became only the second batter for the national women’s team after Mithali Raj to notch a double ton.
Interestingly, Sehwag also holds the record for the fastest double hundred in men’s Tests for India, which he made against the Proteas back in 2008 at the Chepauk. Like Sehwag, Shafali did not go into her shell, and rather hit a six in the 190s. More astonishingly, both batters reached their double hundreds off 194 balls.
It goes without saying that Shafali has shades of Sehwag given her fearless approach. Popularly known as ‘Lady Sehwag’, the 20-year-old was honoured to be spoken of in the same breath as the former Indian opener. The swashbuckling batter takes cues from Sehwag’s batting, making life tough for bowlers around the world.
“Getting compared to Sehwag sir is a big thing for me. When I started playing cricket, Sachin (Tendulkar) sir and Sehwag sir used to dominate. And yes, I have learned a lot from Sehwag sir, his fearless approach, regardless of which ball of the match it is. I keep following his batting from time to time,” Shafali told India Today on the sidelines of a promotional event for apparel brand QUA in New Delhi.
Back in 2021, a dynamic 17-year-old burst into Test cricket with a thunderous 96-run knock against an English attack that had the likes of Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Sophie Ecclestone, and others. But a century eluded her in Bristol after she holed out to Shrubsole while trying to collect a boundary down the ground off Kate Cross.
Shafali had to wait for three years to reach the three-digit score. Learning from her heartbreak in 2021, she hit a four all along the ground without taking an undue risk. Instead of taking a backseat, the right-hander carried on and brought up her double hundred, although she agonisingly missed out on going past Mithali Raj’s 214, the highest score by an Indian woman in Tests.
“I was very happy when I scored a double hundred. I was also emotional as I was not able to score a hundred despite playing so many years for India. After getting the century, I was determined to make it big and not leave it there as I knew about the bad patches and struggles I went through. I have rarely played a long innings, but that day, I was determined to get a big score,” Shafali said.
Shafali grabbed the limelight while playing for Velocity in the 2019 Women’s T20 Challenge. During the matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, the then 15-year-old took on the world’s best and gave a glimpse of what was to come. Shafali was fast-tracked into the Indian team in that very year, after which she was also picked to play in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Having also played in South Africa last year, Shafali has already become a trump card for India across all three formats. But behind her success has been the maturity and consistency she has shown, having also plied her trade alongside the legendary Meg Lanning at the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
“Back in 2020, I used to hit every ball. But after a point in time, opponents analyse your game through video analysts and your gameplan becomes obvious. Teams get to know our strengths and weaknesses. I could not perform well in 2023, but I got to learn a lot and my consistency has improved. And in the last four years, I have realised how crucial the mental aspect of the game is,” Shafali said.
2023 holds a special memory for Shafali, who led the Indian U19 team, which also had Richa Ghosh, to glory in the T20 World Cup. The defending champions will begin their campaign in the upcoming edition against the West Indies on January 19, 2025 and Shafali backed them to bring home the title again.
Fast bowler Shabnam Shakil and wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, who recently became the second cricketer from Assam to play for India, are likely to play in the U19 World Cup next year.
“Shabnam was there with us last time. She is a good bowler and bowls at good speeds. She has also worked hard. Uma is also talented and a good wicketkeeper. Hopefully, they get picked for the U19 team and bring the World Cup,” Shafali said.
As far as Shafali is concerned, she played some scintillating knocks for India in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. In the T20 World Cups, the swashbuckling batter has 265 runs, but with a top score of 47 against Sri Lanka in 2020, she is yet to score a half-century.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s India are all set to get their campaign underway on October 4 against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium.
Shafali Verma has signed a deal with QUA and has been a part of their campaign, promoting the idea of women empowerment. The T20 World Cup provided the perfect backdrop, allowing the campaign to not only celebrate Shafali’s achievements, but also to emphasize their role as modern-day heroines, representing strength, resilience and individuality on and off the field of play.