It is surely not a good sight for any player not to get their name in the squad to represent their country in the ICC Women’s World Cup. Shafali Varma was not in India’s standby players list as well. She came in for the injured Pratika Rawal as a replacement. From a replacement to a Player of the Match in the final: let us have a look at Shafali Varma’s World Cup Heroics.
The India Women were playing against the Bangladeshi women in their final group match. It was the 21st over when Pratika Rawal was injured when her ankle got twisted while fielding. It was Monday when Shafali Varma got a call that she would play the last two matches of the World Cup. Surely, the two biggest games of her life. First up, it was Australia in the semi-final.
Shafali Varma’s World Cup Heroics: From a replacement to a Player of the Match in the final
Basically, Shafali Varma was out of the Indian team for a long time. She was playing domestic cricket and performing very well. The selectors wanted her to perform and gain more experience by playing in the domestic tournaments. She today a call just before the semi-final to come and play for the Indian team. In an interview, she said, “God has sent me here to do something good,” and surely did more than something.
In the catch against Australia Women, which was the semi-finals at the same venue. She could not do much as she was out on 10 runs from 5 balls, smashing two boundaries. India Women completed a historic run-chase, and next up is the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
From the first ball, she came with a mission to help India win the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time. With the bat, she was just unstoppable, and it was a mature innings from her. She rotated the strike when needed and punished the bad deliverers. Shafali Varma scored 87 runs in 78 balls, which included seven boundaries and two big sixes. This was not it.
The match looked like it was going on the South African side as Wolvaardt and Luus were slowly scoring runs. Harmanpreet gave the ball to Shafali Varma, and how could she not impress? Just on her second ball, she got Sune Luus out, and she took a catch on her own bowling. In the next over, she got the wicket of the experienced all-rounder, Marizanne Kapp. She had bowling figures of 2/36 in the seven overs. Shafali Varma won the Player of the Match in the finals for her all-around performance.
Also Check: How India Women’s Dream became a reality of winning the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025
