Shafali Verma gambit wins India Women’s World Cup, as Deepti Sharma also stars

Indian players celebrate with the Women's World Cup trophy (X/imVkohli)

Less than a fortnight ago, Shafali Verma was doing the hard yards in domestic cricket, watching like millions of fans as her one-time teammates journeyed around the country, and to Sri Lanka, in pursuit of the elusive World Cup dream. Then, Pratika Rawal broke her ankle against New Zealand, and the team management thought out of the box and drafted in Shafali as injury replacement. She wasn’t able to make it count against Australia in the semi-final, but on Sunday afternoon, as India’s big three batters failed to build on starts, it was Shafali that played an innings for the ages – a dazzling 78-ball 87 – to take India to a formidable total. Then, asked to bowl almost on a whim, her slow and innocuous off-spin accounted for the vastly experienced duo of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp as India eked out a nerve-wracking 52-run victory.

She was hardly the only star. Deepti Sharma scored a run-a-ball 58 to ensure the innings didn’t fizzle out, and then took 5-39 that included the key wicket of Laura Wolvaardt, the South Africa captain who had kept her team in the hunt with a magnificent 98-ball 101. The credit for that wicket went mostly to Amanjot Kaur, who took a wonderful juggling catch to turn the game decisively in India’s favour.

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Amanjot didn’t do much with the bat and was expensive with the ball, but it was her direct hit to dismiss the dangerous Tazmin Brits that gave India a first breakthrough. That, and her catch – destined for the highlights reels like Kapil Dev’s to dismiss Viv Richards in 1983 – alone validated her selection.

Shafali and Smriti Mandhana (45) gave India the perfect start, neutralising the dangerous Kapp and adding 104 in just 106 balls. Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues then added 62 at a run a ball, but Shafali’s tired dismissal saw Jemimah (24) follow soon after. Harmanpreet never look settled, save for one beautiful late cut, but she gave Deepti solid support in a stand of 52.

It still needed a muscular 24-ball 34 from Richa Ghosh to provide some late impetus as South Africa tightened things in the final overs. Deepti stayed till the final ball before being the star turn with the ball. South Africa had beaten India earlier in the tournament thanks to a late blitz from Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon, but both were sent packing by Deepti, as was the big-hitting Annerie Dercksen. She was deservedly named Player of the Tournament, but in many ways, this final was about the girl who came in from the cold and the Shafali gambit that checkmated South Africa.