The Women’s Premier League (WPL) served up a deja vu of the 2023 final as the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals clashed in the second game of the 2025 season. While the Capitals ultimately edged out the inaugural champions by two wickets in a nail-biting, last-ball finish, it was Shafali Verma’s electrifying knock that set Twitter ablaze.
The 21-year-old, known for her fearless approach, unleashed a whirlwind of boundaries and sixes, smashing 43 runs off just 18 deliveries. Her assault was particularly brutal on left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque, whom she took for four boundaries and a maximum in a single over, signalling her intent right from the start.
Verma’s innings was a pure masterclass in aggressive batting, a potent blend of power and precision. Just when it seemed she would single-handedly decimate the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack, Hayley Matthews intervened, dismissing her on the penultimate ball of the powerplay. Despite the relatively short duration of her stay at the crease, Shafali’s power-packed innings, studded with seven boundaries and two towering sixes, provided fans and analysts alike with plenty to discuss.
The fans lauded her aggressive intent and ability to dominate the powerplay phase in the game in particular. Although her dismissal was a setback for the Capitals, it did little to diminish the impact of her innings, which had already swung the momentum firmly in Delhi’s favour.
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