Shafali Verma says a sleepless night after first T20 dismissal fuelled 25-ball 55 against Zimbabwe
India's new women's vice-captain hit 55 off 25 balls in the second T20 against Zimbabwe, a night after a dismissal that cost her sleep.
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Shafali Verma, newly named vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, played a blistering innings in the second T20 against Zimbabwe and played a big part in India's win. She scored 55 off just 25 balls, with four sixes and six fours, and was named Player of the Match. Behind the innings lies a story of disappointment in the first match and the effort to recover from it.
In the first T20, Shafali was dismissed for just 4 off the bowling of off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura, who took the catch herself. Shafali was so upset about the dismissal that she could not sleep that night.
After the win in the second match, Shafali spoke her mind. "After the way I got out in the last match, I could not sleep all night," she said. "Still, I tried to keep myself calm. I thought about what I had to do the next day and focused on putting it into practice on the field."
Against the same bowler, Shafali hit back hard. Chasing, she made her intent clear by hitting Gwanzura for a four and a six in the very first over. She completed her half-century in just 24 balls. Powered by her aggressive batting, India chased down the target of 104 in just 8.5 overs, losing one wicket, and took a winning lead in the series.
Speaking about her approach against spin, Shafali also mentioned changes in her batting. She said she now prefers to bend a little and get the timing right on the ball. If boundaries are not coming, she tries to keep the scoreboard moving with singles. Her emphasis is on keeping her plans simple and executing them on the field.
Shafali was dropped from the Indian women's ODI team in 2025. During that time she looked for flaws in her batting and worked on them, focusing especially on how to score runs consistently.
"In 2025, when I was at home, I thought about what could be improved in my game," Shafali said. "The first thing that came to my mind was scoring runs consistently. Scoring consistently is very important for the team. I analysed how the Australian batters play and tried to understand how they bat. Now I am trying to score as many runs as possible for the team and win matches."
The innings has restored Shafali's confidence, and her intent to contribute consistently for the Indian team is clearly visible.
