Five years ago, at the MCG, a 16-year-old Shafali Verma dropped Alyssa Healy in the final of the T20 World Cup. Healy went on to play a match-winning knock, and the image of a heartbroken Shafali, tears rolling down her face, became a poignant visual.

Cut to 2025. Another final. Another shot at redemption.

This time, at home in Navi Mumbai, Shafali Verma didn’t just rewrite her story; she lived the dream every cricketer grows up chasing.

And the irony? She wasn’t even supposed to be there.

Initially left out of India’s ODI World Cup squad, Shafali was drafted in only after Pratika Rawal – the same player who had replaced her in the side a year ago – suffered an untimely injury. Call it fate. Call it God’s plan. But what unfolded next was pure destiny.

On Sunday, November 2, Shafali Ve

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