{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Shafali Verma hits historic first-ball six that no other batter has repeated twice",
  "summary": "India bowled Pakistan out for 55 and chased the target in nine overs in the Women's T20 Asia Cup, but the headlines belonged to Shafali Verma, who hit a first-ball six and became the youngest to 3000 T20I runs.",
  "content": "India put on a ruthless show in the Women's T20 Asia Cup, bowling out arch-rivals Pakistan for a mere 55 and then chasing the target down inside nine overs for the loss of three wickets. But the real talking point of the match was opener Shafali Verma, known across the cricket world as 'Lady Sehwag', who fell cheaply yet still managed to write a fresh world record with the very first ball of India's innings.\n\nHow the match unfolded\nChasing Pakistan's paltry total of 55 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India sent out Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma to open the innings. Facing the very first delivery from bowler Sadia Iqbal, Shafali lofted the ball over long-off and out of the ground for a six. She did not last long after that and was dismissed cheaply, but by then she had already etched her name into the record books. India completed the chase in the ninth over, losing three wickets along the way.\n\nA feat repeated for the first time ever\nThis was not the first time Shafali had pulled off this trick. She has now hit a six off the first ball of a Women's T20 International innings twice, and remarkably, both instances came against Pakistan and both times off bowler Sadia Iqbal. With this, Shafali became the first batter in the format's history to achieve this feat twice.\n\nOnly two other batters share this record\nApart from Shafali Verma, only two other batters in Women's T20 International history have hit a six off the first ball of an innings: Ireland's Amy Hunter and Papua New Guinea's Holan Doriga. Both of them, however, have done it just once each. Amy Hunter was the first to achieve this milestone, doing so in 2025, which means Shafali is now the only player to have repeated the feat.\n\nYoungest to reach 3000 T20I runs\nShafali scored 12 runs off 6 balls in the match, taking her overall Women's T20 International career tally past the 3000-run mark. With that, she became the youngest batter in the world to reach this milestone, achieving it at the age of 22 years and 220 days. In doing so, she broke the record held by Ireland's Gaby Lewis, who had reached 3000 runs at the age of 24 years and 347 days. India's Smriti Mandhana sits fourth on this list, having completed her 3000 T20I runs at the age of 27 years and 171 days.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThe win strengthens India's standing in the Asia Cup, while Shafali Verma's feat has permanently altered the record books.\n\n• For cricket fans: India's comfortable win boosts the team's path forward in the Asia Cup, so fans will be watching Shafali's form closely in the coming matches.\n• A benchmark for young players: Reaching 3000 T20I runs at just 22 shows how sustained appearances and an aggressive approach can help a player hit major milestones early in a career.\n• Impact on the record books: Shafali has broken Gaby Lewis's previous record, reshaping the list of milestones in Women's T20 International cricket and setting a new benchmark for stat-watchers to track.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. For how many runs did India bowl out Pakistan?\nIndia bowled Pakistan out for just 55 runs.\n\n2. In how many overs did India chase the target?\nIndia chased the target in the ninth over, losing three wickets.\n\n3. Off which bowler did Shafali Verma hit her first-ball six?\nShe hit the six off bowler Sadia Iqbal.\n\n4. How many runs did Shafali Verma score in the match?\nShe scored 12 runs off 6 balls.\n\n5. At what age did Shafali become the youngest to 3000 T20I runs?\nShe achieved this at the age of 22 years and 220 days.\n\n6. Who held this record before Shafali?\nIreland's Gaby Lewis held it previously, having reached 3000 runs at 24 years and 347 days.\n\n7. Where does Smriti Mandhana rank on this list?\nSmriti Mandhana is fourth, having reached 3000 T20I runs at 27 years and 171 days.\n\n8. Who else has hit a six off the first ball of a Women's T20I innings?\nIreland's Amy Hunter and Papua New Guinea's Holan Doriga have each done it once.\n\nInspiration & Lessons\nShafali Verma's achievement leaves behind several lessons for young players.\n\n• Start aggressively: Shafali believes in putting the opposition under pressure from the moment she walks out to bat, regardless of the outcome.\n• The value of consistency: Reaching big milestones at a young age shows how staying in the side and making the most of every opportunity helps a career climb quickly.\n• Don't change your game under pressure: Even on the big stage in high-stakes matches, Shafali has stuck to her natural, aggressive batting style.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/cricket/pahali-hi-genda-para-dhamaka-shafali-verma-ne-racha-aisa-itihasa-jo-aba-taka-koi-dohara-nahin-paya-28477",
  "category": "Cricket",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-06",
  "tags": [
    "Shafali Verma",
    "India vs Pakistan",
    "Women's T20 Asia Cup",
    "World Record",
    "Sadia Iqbal",
    "Smriti Mandhana",
    "Dubai International Stadium"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}