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Originally published by Standard Sportssports
November 3, 2025
7h ago
Shafali Verma: India's World Cup hero who disguised herself as boy
She was named player of the match for her all-round blitz as India won their maiden Women's World Cup title at a packed DY Patil Stadium...
✨ Key Highlights
Shafali Verma led India to their first-ever Women's World Cup title, overcoming an initial exclusion from the squad to become the player of the match in the final against South Africa.
- Verma, 21, scored an attacking 87 runs and took two crucial wickets in the final.
- She was an injury replacement for in-form opener Pratika Rawal.
- As a nine-year-old, Verma disguised herself as a boy to play in a tournament, even using her brother's name.
- Her 49-ball 50 was her first in three years and made her the youngest to hit a half-century in a Women's ODI World Cup final at 21 years and 278 days.
- Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur highlighted Verma's confidence and impactful performance, calling her back-to-back breakthroughs the turning point.
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