Chandigarh: Growing up in the dusty lanes of Rohtak, Haryana, Shafali Verma loved doing two things: hitting big sixes and watching Doraemon.
As she grew up and made her India debut at 15, she joked that international cricket had left her with little time for the Japanese cartoon series. Now, at 22, she is in Japan herself—soaking in the Asian Games atmosphere, making her opportunities count by playing authoritative cricket.
On Sunday in Aichi, Nisshin, Shafali’s innings underlined how far she has come. Her 49-ball 100* powered India to a 114-run semi-final win over Bangladesh, becoming the first woman to score a century in Asian Games cricket. India will face Sri Lanka in the gold medal match on Tuesday.
The hundred was also the joint fastest by an Indian woman in T20I cricket, matching India captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Shafali also holds the record for the fastest double century in women’s Tests, scored against South Africa in June 2024.
For all her early brilliance, a white-ball century was missing. That box has now been ticked.
“It took a lot of time, patience and belief, but some dreams are worth waiting for. Feeling truly blessed and grateful to finally live this moment,” Shafali said on social media.
The numbers only tell part of the story. What stood out against Bangladesh was how she built the innings. There was the trademark power, but also greater control, better shot selection and a willingness to use her feet and manipulate the field.
Former India captain Anjum Chopra, in a video on social media, described it as a new version of the opener.
“The Shafali we have seen since the ODI World Cup 2025 is the Shafali 2.0. The way she is dominating, showing conviction, shot selection, decision-making — everything is just spot on,” Anjum said. She pointed out that Shafali no longer relied only on shots away from the body.
It is some transformation from less than a year ago when she did not even make it to the original squad for the 2025 ODI World Cup with questions over her form. But she returned with a bang after being called up for the final two games following opener Pratika Rawal’s injury.
In the final against South Africa, Shafali struck 87 and took two wickets to help India lift their first Women’s ODI World Cup title. It gave a glimpse of her all-round value. Her growth has continued into 2026.
With the hundred, Shafali also became the youngest player to complete 1,000 T20I runs and become the No.1 in T20I batting rankings. She went to the Asian Games in great form, after scoring 64 off 40 balls against Bangladesh in the recent T20 Asia Cup semi-final and 68 off 39 balls against Sri Lanka in the final.
Her partnerships with Smriti Mandhana has become one of the team’s defining strengths. And Shafali’s game has evolved from the explosive batter of the Powerplay phase to one willing to take singles and run well between the wickets. She was also 40* against hosts Japan and took two wickets.
Shafali also showed a glimpse of her leadership potential, captaining the India U-19 side to World Cup victory. Now, she is one game away from another gold medal by defending the title won in 2023 Hangzhou.
Sri Lanka’s hopes rest heavily on captain Chamari Athapaththu, the player capable of changing a contest on her own. But Indian fans will surely pick Shafali to stamp her authority.
If India do finish the job and claim another Asiad gold, perhaps Shafali can find time to enjoy the Japan she once knew only through Doraemon.