Indian opening batter Shafali Verma delivered a breathtaking performance in the Asian Games 2026 cricket semifinal in Japan, striking an unbeaten century against Bangladesh. The Haryana batter dominated the bowling attack right from the start, racing to 100 runs in just 49 deliveries. This scintillating knock marks her maiden century in T20 international cricket for India.
Relentless Assault Against Bangladesh
From the opening overs of the high-stakes semifinal, Shafali kept Bangladesh under intense pressure with her trademark aggressive strokeplay. Finding the boundaries with ease, she dismantled the opposition's plans and steered India into complete command. Reaching triple figures off just 49 balls, she remained unbeaten to guide the team to a commanding position in the tournament.
Surpassing Smriti Mandhana in Sixes Tally
Beyond the personal milestone of a maiden T20 international hundred, Shafali also etched her name into the history books by becoming India's leading six-hitter in women's T20 internationals. In doing so, she surpassed the record previously held by teammate Smriti Mandhana. Her aggressive batting also made her the Indian batter with the most sixes in a single calendar year in WT20Is.
Consistent Rise and Milestones in T20 Internationals
The explosive opener has enjoyed an exceptional run of form leading into the Asian Games. Earlier in the Women's Asia Cup, she became the fastest player to reach the 3,000-run milestone in WT20I history. Her consistent match-winning contributions have also fueled steady gains in the official ICC women's rankings, continuing an extraordinary career trajectory established at just 22 years of age.
