Shafali Verma, India’s highest-scoring Test debutant

Indian cricketer Shafali Verma on Thursday scored the most runs for an Indian woman on Test debut. She scored 96 off 152 balls against England in the first innings at Bristol, following it up with another half-century in the rain-delayed second innings.  Verma also became the first Indian woman to hit a six on Test debut, notching two sixes and 13 fours in her first knock.

The 17-year-old also holds the record of being the youngest Indian cricketer to play in a T20 International.

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Shafali Verma is a right-handed top-order batter. In September 2019, she made her T20I debut against South Africa, at the age of 15. She also became the youngest Indian player to score a half-century in international cricket, at the same age. 

In November 2019, she scored 158 runs in five T20I matches against West Indies and received the player of the series award. She was among the players named in the India squad for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup that was held in Australia. She was also given a central contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

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Verma was born on January 28, 1004, in Rohtak, Haryana. She has appeared in 22 T20Is and one Test. She has scored three half-centuries in T20I with a top score of 73.