Shafali Verma has made a habit of lighting up scoreboards, but on Tuesday evening in Vizag, she did something arguably more significant – she showed restraint. Her unbeaten 69 off just 34 balls against Sri Lanka was vintage Shafali in outcome, but refreshingly evolved in approach.
India were already 1–0 up in the series, having chased down 121 in 14.4 overs in the opener. Sri Lanka managed seven more runs in the second T20I, but the result was even more emphatic. India completed the chase in a mere 11.5 overs, and at the heart of it stood Shafali, calm before she unleashed carnage.
This innings mattered because it challenged a long-standing narrative around Shafali’s T20 batting – explosive, fearless, but often impatient. Too frequently, she has dazzled in the 30s and 40s only to throw her wicket away attempting one shot too many. In Vizag, she resisted that temptation.
The Sri Lankan pacers began well, bowling into good areas and denying her easy scoring options. Earlier, this might have prompted an adventurous response. Instead, Shafali defended, rotated strike, and waited. Singles and twos flowed. Gaps were found. Her wicket, finally, was valued.
Once set, the acceleration was brutal yet measured. The off-side play stood out, crisp, well-timed strokes over and through the infield rather than sheer muscle. There was only one six, but it was enough. This was not about how hard she hit the ball, but how smartly she placed it.
Post-match, Shafali admitted she wanted to take her time initially before accelerating. “The ball was holding a bit at the start, so I tried to play along the ground and take singles,” she said. “The coach also told me how to go about in such conditions. They bowled well at the start. It was a good knock. I kept myself calm, tried to play along the ground and the ball was coming on nicely.
“I know I can score runs if I play the ball on the ground. Acceptance is everything, if you accept (your weaknesses) then only you become a better cricketer.”
That self-awareness is encouraging. Because everyone knows the truth: if Shafali bats for 20 balls, the game tilts; if she bats for 30, it ends.
For India, the implications are enormous. A consistently contributing Shafali at the top provides a cushion few teams can match. It allows India to eye 170s and 180s regularly, turning good totals into match-winning ones.
There was a sense of deja vu too. In the ODI World Cup 2025 semi-final, it was Jemimah Rodrigues. In the final, Shafali. In this series, the pattern repeated – first T20I Jemimah, then Shafali. Familiar heroes, timely statements.
Vizag witnessed redemption, dominance, and perhaps most importantly, growth. If Shafali Verma can marry patience with her natural aggression, this 69* may be remembered not just as a match-winning knock, but as a turning point.
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