Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop has hailed Indian opener Shafali Verma for her maiden century in the women's Asian Games cricket semifinal. He stated that her century is a "due reward" for her hard-hitting batting style and impressive performance in T20Is. Shafali Verma achieved this milestone on September 20, 2026, during the semifinal match against Bangladesh.
Shafali Verma's sensational run in knockout matches continued as she became the first Indian woman cricketer to slam a century in the Asian Games. Her knock of 100* off 49 balls was laced with three fours and nine sixes, taking her to 100 T20I sixes and making her the second Indian to reach this milestone. This impressive performance helped India post a massive 195-run total against Bangladesh in the women's cricket semi-final at the Asian Games 2026.
With her nine sixes against Bangladesh, Shafali also moved up the list of most sixes in women's T20Is. She now has 102 sixes in the format, joining the elite list led by New Zealand's Sophie Devine and West Indies' Deandra Dottin, who have 134 sixes each. Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu is third with 120 sixes, while Smriti Mandhana has 100 sixes.
Shafali Verma has continued to deliver in high-pressure knockout matches for India, producing impactful performances across recent tournaments. In her last five knockout appearances, Verma has scored 87 off 78 balls in the World Cup final, 64 off 40 in the Asia Cup semi-final, 68 off 39 in the Asia Cup final, 40 off 16 in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinal, and 100 off 49 in the Asian Games 2026 semi-final.
Shafali's century made her the third centurion for India Women in T20Is. Before her, Smriti Mandhana held the record for the highest individual score for India Women with 124 against Hong Kong in Dubai in 2026, followed by her 112 against England at Trent Bridge in 2025 and Harmanpreet Kaur's 103 against New Zealand in Providence in 2018.
The Indian opener has also been among the leading run-scorers in women's T20Is this year. With 815 runs in 2026, Shafali is second on the calendar-year run-scoring list behind South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt (824), while Natasha Miles is third with 800 runs. Shafali's 35 sixes in 2026 are the most in a calendar year in women's T20Is in terms of frequency.
The winner of the India-Bangladesh semi-final will face Sri Lanka in the gold medal match after Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the first semi-final. Shafali Verma's impressive performance has made her one of the batters with the most 50-plus scores in a calendar year in women's T20Is, equaling Smriti Mandhana's record of eight such scores in 2024.
Key points
- Shafali Verma becomes the first Indian woman cricketer to score a century in the Asian Games.
- Shafali Verma achieves her maiden T20I century, scoring 100* off 49 balls against Bangladesh.
- Shafali Verma's impressive performance helps India post a massive 195-run total against Bangladesh in the women's cricket semi-final at the Asian Games 2026.
