Star Indian cricketer Shafali Verma on Sunday, September 20, became the first batter to score a century in women’s T20Is in Japan, as her 100-run knock took India to a whopping 114-run win against Bangladesh and into the finals of the Asian Games women’s cricket competition.
Hong Kong’s Natasha Miles scored an unbeaten 86 against Japan in 2022, the previous highest.
Shafali peeled off her maiden T20I hundred, an unbeaten 100 off just 49 deliveries, to power India to a formidable 195/4 after opting to bat.
Shafali also became the first woman to score a hundred in the Asian Games. Chamari Athapaththu’s unbeaten 83 against Pakistan in the first semi-final, just a few hours before Shafali’s blitz, was the previous highest score by a woman in the competition’s
history.
Shafali went on the offensive, smashing nine sixes and three boundaries to bring up her maiden T20I hundred in her 118th appearance for India.
Shafali smashed nine sixes, the joint-second-most by a batter in a women’s T20I innings, behind just Brazil’s Laura Agatha, who smacked 11 sixes against Mexico in 2024.
It’s just the fourth T20I hundred for any Indian batter.
Shafali received strong support from senior duo Smriti Mandhana (37) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (40) at the other end.
Shafali’s nine sixes are the most by an Indian batter in a women’s T20I innings, going past Harmanpreet’s eight against New Zealand in the 2018 T20 World Cup.
Using the long handle to good effect, Shafali and Smriti got India off to a flying start, putting on 72 runs for the opening wicket.
India smashed 12 sixes against Bangladesh, the most by a team in a women’s T20I innings. The West Indies against Ireland in 2019 and Brazil against Mexico in 2024 had held the record with 11 sixes each.
Shafali and Smriti Mandhana matched each other stroke for stroke as they took the attack to the Bangladeshi bowlers, who struggled to contain their aggressive approach.
