India, Nov. 2 -- Shafali Verma's rise was meteoric even by Indian cricket's hypercompetitive standards. She debuted for India's T20I side at 15, becoming the youngest Indian to play the format and, weeks later, the youngest international half-centurion. By early 2020, she had climbed to No.1 in the ICC T20I batting rankings, a signal that her high-impact, aggressive batting was built for the biggest stages.

Through 2024-25, Shafali Verma's ODI returns flattened out, and the selection panel pivoted to consistency at the top. In August 2025, India named their Women's ODI World Cup squad without Shafali, with chief selector Neetu David's group signalling a move toward stability and clarity. The omission was explicitly framed around her rece...