When Shafali Verma's Father Enrolled Her As Boy After Academies Refused To Coach Girls, 'Nau Saal..'

India's young batting sensation, Shafali Verma, has again shown the world why she can't be written off after her match-winning performance in India's ODI World Cup Final 2025. She scored 87 runs with her bat and picked up two wickets, despite not being a regular bowler, which increased India's chances of winning. Interestingly, a week ago, she was not even part of the winning squad, coming in as an injury replacement before the semi-finals and becoming India's game-changer. Similar to Shafali's impressive journey to becoming a world champion, her path to the world of international cricket was not easy; however, her grit, combined with that of her father, Sanjeev Verma's support made it possible.

Shafali Verma's father dressed her as a boy to enrol her in the local cricket academy

Shafali Verma's cricketing journey began in Rohtak, Haryana. Her father, Sanjeev Verma, is a jewellery shop owner, and her mother, Parveen Bala, is a homemaker. Her father, a die-hard cricket fan, had once dreamed of becoming a cricketer himself, and soon identified his daughter's passion for the game. They both have been fans of Sachin Tendulkar, and Shafali's father took her to watch the master blaster's final domestic game when she was 8. However, the journey was not easy, as societal and gender barriers stood in the way of her success in the game.

When her father wanted to enrol her in the local cricket academy due to her passion for the game, they refused to coach her simply because she was a girl. However, this did not deter her father, and he came up with a bold idea to fulfil his daughter's dream. Sanjeev asked young Shafali to cut her hair short and disguise herself as a boy so she could train alongside other aspiring cricketers. Recalling the same to Times of India, Sanjeev Verma said:

“Nau saal ke umar mein saare bachche ek jaise hi lagte hain” 

He secretly enrolled her at the Shree Ram Narain Cricket Academy under the name of her brother, Sahil. Although he had a lingering fear that someone would discover her identity, Shafali's focus was solely on the game. Soon her power-hitting and fever-batting style made her stand out among the boys. Later, her other coach, Ashwani Kumar, once shared that she even used to do that when she practised with players much older than her without feeling out of place. Still, she used to face mockery and taunts from neighbours for playing a 'men's game'. However, Shafali outperformed and became the youngest cricketer to play a T20 International for India at the age of 15. Later, she led India to victory in the 2023 U-19 Women's T20 World Cup.

Shafali Verma was dropped from India's World Cup squad 2025

Shafali Verma's stellar rise in the game did not negate all her challenges. After some consistent poor performances with her bat, she was not included in the 2025 World Cup. Instead, Pratika Rawal sealed her seat as the opener after back-to-back impressive knocks. Yet, destiny had its own plans. Pratika suffered an unfortunate ankle injury before the semi-final, and Shafali Verma was called in. She could not perform well in the semi-final match, but came with an intention and silenced all doubts about her mettle with an impressive performance in the final. 

Shafali Verma story and her father's complete belief in his daughter’s dreams is a perfect example of hour barriers need to be broken for big wins. What do you think about Shafali's performance in the ODI World Cup 2025 final? Let us know.

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