The story of India’s maiden Women’s ODI World Cup triumph found its most dramatic chapter in Shafali Verma, who was crowned Player of the Final in a tournament she wasn't originally slated to play.
The young opener, who returned to the squad just before the semi-finals due to an injury to Pratika Rawal, delivered a game-changing performance with both bat and ball. Shafali finished as India's highest scorer in the final with 87 runs off 78 balls and, remarkably, picked up two crucial wickets; matching her total tally from the preceding 31 ODIs, cementing her place in World Cup lore.
Verma’s batting display showed a new layer of maturity and composure. After spending time in domestic cricket refining her game, the 21-year-old demonstrated restraint, opting to play along the ground and rotate the strike, a deliberate contrast to the "recklessness" that had previously led to her omission from the ODI squad.
Her father, Sanjeev Verma, recalled his simple message: "If you stay for 2-4 overs, full innings is yours." This composed aggression saw her put on a 104-run opening stand with Smriti Mandhana, setting the tone for India's imposing total of 298. Even a dropped catch on 56 and a subsequent cramp failed to derail her masterful innings.
The biggest surprise came in the second innings when Captain Harmanpreet Kaur threw the ball to the part-time off-spinner in the 21st over. This "gut feeling" and gamble paid off immediately. Shafali broke the dangerous partnership by dismissing Sune Luus off her second ball, and followed it up by removing Marizanne Kapp in her next over. Both were massive breakthroughs that rocked South Africa's middle order.
South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt admitted the decision took her team by surprise: “It was frustrating that she was able to pick up two and two big ones as well. We had to err on the side of caution to not give her any more wickets. She was not really the person we planned for.”
Shafali's performance; the half-century and the two game-changing wickets, was the turning point of the final, validating Harmanpreet's risk and defying the narrative of her recent omission. As the crowd chanted her name and she lifted the trophy, the point remains, she has firmly stamped her authority and proved she is a player the team must find a way to accommodate.
