Born on 28 January 2004 in Rohtak, Haryana, Shafali Verma grew up in a town where girls playing cricket was almost unheard of. Her father, Sanjeev Verma, a jewellery shop owner who loved cricket, wanted his daughter to live the dream he couldn’t.

But opportunities were rare; local academies refused to train girls. Refusing to give up, Sanjeev found another way. He cut Shafali’s hair short and sent her to play disguised as a boy, using her brother’s name. She stunned everyone by winning Man of the Match and Man of the Series, proving her talent was undeniable.

After that, she joined the Shree Ram Narain Cricket Academy, training under Ashwani Kumar, who made her play with boys to sharpen her skills. Her fearless batting and confidence stood out from day one.

At just 15 years old, Shafali made her international debut for India in a T20 match against South Africa in 2019. She quickly became known for her bold hitting, even breaking her idol Sachin Tendulkar’s record as the youngest Indian to score an international half-century.

Her journey was filled with struggles, criticism, rejection, and stereotypes but her family never wavered. In 2025, she helped India win their first-ever Women’s World Cup, scoring a match-winning 87 runs in the final.

Today, Shafali continues to inspire young girls across India. Despite fame, she remains humble, often returning home to play cricket in the same narrow Rohtak streets where her journey began.

Tags

• Shafali Verma
• Rohtak
• Haryana
• Sanjeev

Advertisement