Shafali Verma Reveals What Truly Felt Great After Winning India’s First Women’s ICC Title

Exactly two weeks after India ended a 48-year wait for a senior women’s ICC trophy, opening batter Shafali Verma has opened up on the “unbelievable” feeling of lifting the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup in South Africa. The 21-year-old, who flew in as a last-minute injury replacement for the injured Smriti Mandhana, produced a match-winning all-round performance in the final against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town, on November 3, 2025, to seal a dramatic four-wicket victory and India’s maiden women’s 50-over global title.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on November 19, Verma described the moment the winning runs were hit as “pure magic”. “When that last boundary went to the fence, everything just stopped for a second. Then the screams, the tears, the hugs—it felt great that my little contribution helped the team win the World Cup after so many years,” she said. Verma had walked in at a tricky 67 for 2 in the chase of 241 and played a composed 78-ball 68 before returning with the ball to claim 2 for 31, including the crucial scalp of South African captain Laura Wolvaardt. Her Player-of-the-Match award in the final capped a whirlwind tournament in which she scored 312 runs and took seven wickets in six matches.

The Haryana dasher, originally left out of India’s initial squad, received the late call-up when Mandhana was ruled out with a finger injury sustained in the semi-final against Australia. “I was at home, just training, when the selector rang. I honestly didn’t believe it at first,” Verma recalled. Within 48 hours she was on a flight to Cape Town, and within a week she had become the heartbeat of India’s campaign. “The seniors made me feel so welcome. Harmanpreet di kept telling me, ‘just play your natural game, back yourself.’ That trust made all the difference.”

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Looking ahead, Verma promised the celebrations are only the beginning. “This is just the start. We want to keep winning trophies and keep inspiring young girls back home,” she said, adding that the team has already set its sights on defending the title in 2029 and dominating the upcoming Champions Trophy cycle. With the victory parade still fresh in memory and the trophy now proudly displayed at the BCCI headquarters, Shafali Verma’s journey from injury replacement to World Cup hero has become the defining image of India’s golden moment in women’s cricket.

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