In a post that captured the essence of resilience and triumph, 21-year-old Indian opener Shafali Verma celebrated her ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for November 2025 on her personal Instagram handle.
The young batter, who played a pivotal role in India’s historic maiden senior-level ICC title at the Women’s ODI World Cup, shared profound gratitude and an inspiring message for aspiring cricketers. Her words resonate as a beacon for the next generation, blending personal reflection with unyielding motivation amid India’s golden era in women’s cricket.
Shafali’s journey to this accolade was nothing short of dramatic. “Last month mere liye life-changing aur motivational raha hai. ICC Women’s Player of the Month banna mere liye ek bada honour hai, and I am very grateful for this.”
She edged out Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong and the United Arab Emirates’ Esha Oza to claim the honour, powered by her explosive performances in the 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. Hosted across India and partly in Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2, 2025, the tournament culminated in a glorious 52-run victory for India over South Africa in the final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.
During her time away from the national set-up, she grinded hard at the domestic level, churning out loads of runs at an eye-catching strike rate. Shafali Verma was the leading run-scorer for Team A in the Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy with 414 runs at a strike rate of 145.26 and an average of 82.80 in 5 innings, including 3 half-centuries and a century in five matches. In the Senior women’s T20 Challenger Trophy, she scored 24 runs in four innings with the ball for her side, representing team D.
Representing Haryana at the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, she ended as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 527 runs at a strike rate of 152.31 and an astonishing average of 75.29 in seven innings, including a couple of half-centuries and a couple of centuries. Her exploits at the domestic level laid the foundation for a surprise call-up to the Indian side during the business end of the tournament.
“I’d also like to say this to all the youngsters out there that keep working hard, because in the end, it’s hard work that truly pays off. In my case, I wasn’t even part of the squad, but that didn’t stop me. I kept working on myself, and when the call finally came, it felt like God’s plan – to make me a small part of this team. It made me realise how important self-belief is, and that anything can happen at any moment. You just have to keep your head down and keep working harder.”
Her stats spoke volumes: 97 runs across two innings at a strike rate of 116.86 and an average of 48.50, embodying the aggressive flair that defines modern openers. This commitment fuels excitement for her future, including Delhi Capitals’ retention of Shafali at ₹2.20 crore for the 4th Women’s Premier League (WPL) from January 9 to February 5, 2026, split between DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, and Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
Delhi has been a consistent force in WPL, finishing runners-up in all three editions despite topping the table each time: behind Mumbai Indians (2023 and 2025 champions under Harmanpreet) and Royal Challenger Bengaluru (2024 winners under Smriti Mandhana). Ahead lies India’s five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka (led by Chamari Athapaththu) from December 21-30, 2025, and the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5, 2026.
Shafali’s post isn’t just a celebration, it’s a manifesto for perseverance, reminding every young cricketer that breakthroughs reward the relentless. As India rides this World Cup high, her voice amplifies the sport’s growing legacy.
Loves all things female cricket