Legendary India National Cricket Team off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was slammed by the fans for jinxing the 21-year-old opening batter Shafali Verma in the final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
Team India are taking on Team South Africa in the summit clash of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2.
Shafali Verma plays a great knock in the World Cup final
The young Haryana batter Shafali is regarded as one of the most explosive batters in women’s cricket, but after a lean patch with the bat, she was dropped by the BCCI selection committee from the Indian team.
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She received a strict order from the selectors to improve her batting and grind hard in domestic cricket. The batter did exactly that and played some good knocks in domestic cricket.
Before the Women’s World Cup, Shafali also played impressive knocks for India A, but it was not enough for her to be picked in the squad for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal continued as openers for India in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, and the duo did a terrific job. In most of the matches, they provided India with a great start; however, a freak injury to Pratika Rawal broke the opening pair.
Rawal’s injury ruled her out of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, and India were forced to recall Shafali Verma. The youngster was directly slotted into the playing XI in the semi-final against Australia.
Shafali Verma started off well, but fell for 10 runs in the knockout match that India eventually won. The batter made sure to improve her performance in the final and played a sensational knock at an amazing strike rate.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s jinxes Shafali
She looked in great touch and was eyeing a three-figure mark. However, unfortunately, she missed out on the feat. As she was in her 80s, Ravichandran Ashwin shared a post for Shafali Verma on X, hoping for a big century from her.
“A big hundred from Shefali will put this final on track with the 2003 men’s World Cup final. #ICCWomensWorldCup2025,” Ravichandran Ashwin wrote on X.
A big hundred from Shefali will put this final on track with the 2003 men’s World Cup final. #ICCWomensWorldCup2025
— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) November 2, 2025
However, minutes after Ravichandran Ashwin’s post, the batter got out for 87 runs off 78 balls, to Ayabonga Khaka on the fifth ball of the 28th over. Ravichandran Ashwin received heavy criticism for seemingly jinxing Shafali, and he commented a sad emoji under his post after the wicket.
— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) November 2, 2025
Shafali Verma breaks Virender Sehwag’s record, but fails to go past Gautam Gambhir
Her brilliant performance in the final helped Shafali become the youngest player, female or male, to score an ODI World Cup final fifty. She also went past Virender Sehwag and Punam Raut for the highest score by an Indian in the Cricket World Cup final, but couldn’t go past Gautam Gambhir’s 97-run record.
Highest Score for India in World Cup final:
97 – Gautam Gambhir (2011)
91* – MS Dhoni (2011)
87 – Shafali Verma (2025)*
86 – Punam Raut (2017)
82 – Virender Sehwag (2003)
Meanwhile, speaking ahead of the match, the India Women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur said there were talks about their journey in the tournament inside the dressing room. She said:
“But at the end of the day, it’s about how we reach the end. We were talking about this journey, what we have to do after this defeat, how have to improve ourselves, and along with that we have to stay together and help each other. That really showed what positive characters are there in the team.”
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