T20 World Cup 2024: Shafali Verma becomes youngest to 2000 runs in Women’s T20Is

Shafali Verma became the youngest to reach the landmark of 2000 runs in Women’s T20Is.

The right-handed batter achieved the feat at the age of 20 years and 255 days during India’s Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, October 9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Shafali broke the record of Ireland batter Gaby Lewis, who had reached the landmark at the age of 23 years and 35 days. Shafali, in the meantime, also became the youngest Indian to achieve the feat, going past Jemimah Rodrigues, who had got there in the Asia Cup match against Pakistan earlier this year.

Shafali needed 18 runs to get to the 2000-run mark, and she got there with a single off Kavisha Dilhari. The youngster did not have the best of times against New Zealand and Pakistan, but was able to make amends.

Shafali Verma joins elite list
Shafali also became the fifth Indian batter in Women’s T20Is to score 2000 runs. The others are Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Mithali Raj and Rodrigues. Back in 2019, Shafali, at the age of 15, stormed into the Indian team after playing some fearless knocks for Velocity in the Women’s T20 Challenge at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

From there on, Shafali did not look back and kept scoring runs all around the world. She also took part in the 2020 and 2023 editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia and South Africa, but could not score a single half-century. Under Shafali, India won the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup last year on South African soil.

Shafali also holds the record for the fastest double hundred in Women’s Tests after she broke Australia’s Annabel Sutherland’s record. She also has 588 runs to her name from 26 ODIs with a top score of 71 not out.