The Indian Women's Cricket team witnessed a historic moment during the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup final, as Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma etched their names in the record books. The dynamic opening duo achieved a feat never before accomplished in Indian cricket, setting a new benchmark for opening partnerships in World Cup knockout matches.
Verma, who had been brought into the side before the World Cup semi-final, proved her worth after a shaky performance against Australia in the semi-final, by playing her best-ever innings in Women's One Day Internationals (WODIs) in the final.
Their record-breaking performance came in the final against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Verma and Mandhana combined to post a commanding 104-run opening stand. This formidable partnership not only dominated South Africa's new-ball bowlers but also propelled India to 64 without loss in the powerplay, setting a strong foundation for the team.
Shafali Verma, known as "Shifu," lived up to her reputation as one of the most destructive players in the game. Verma scored a rapid 87 off 78 balls, maintaining a strike rate of over 100 throughout her innings. While attempting to hit the ball over the mid-off fielder, she was dismissed in the 28th over. At 21 years and 278 days, Verma became the youngest player to score a fifty in a Women's ODI World Cup final.
Smriti Mandhana, the experienced vice-captain, played a supportive role, scoring 45 off 58 balls. During her innings, Mandhana surpassed Mithali Raj's record for the most runs scored by an Indian in a single edition of the Women's World Cup, amassing 434 runs in the tournament. Raj had previously held the record with 409 runs in the 2017 edition.
In addition to breaking the record for the highest opening partnership in a World Cup knockout match for India, Mandhana and Verma also crossed the milestone of 1,000 partnership runs in ODIs. They became the fourth Indian opening pair to reach this landmark.
Smriti Mandhana has been a consistent performer in international cricket. As of October 23, 2025, she has 14 ODI centuries and has also scored centuries in Tests and T20Is. She is the first Indian woman to score a century in all formats of the game.
Shafali Verma made history by becoming India's youngest debutant at 15 and the youngest female cricketer to score 1000 T20I runs. In June 2021, she became the youngest player, male or female, to represent India in all three formats of international cricket. Under her captaincy, India won the 2023 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup.
The partnership of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma represents a blend of experience and youthful exuberance, and their record-breaking performance in the World Cup final is a testament to their talent, hard work, and dedication.
