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India Women's National Cricket Team defeated Pakistan Women's Cricket Team on September 5, chasing only 56 runs in the second innings, as Pakistan was bowled out in the first innings for only 55 runs.
Shafali Verma opened the innings for India in the run chase and opened the account with a six off Sadia Iqbal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The six on the very first ball of India’s innings helped Shafali Verma create a record in Women's T20 International.
Shafali Verma creates a unique record as the first Women's T20I batter
As of now, Verma is the only batter in the world who has smashed sixes off the very first ball of an innings on multiple occasions. As the target was very thin, India Women surpassed the hurdle swiftly, losing only 3 wickets. Verma walked into the crease with the mood to finish the match as early as possible.
The 22-year-old right-handed batter scored 12 runs off six balls in the 56-run chase. She might not have hit the winning runs, but did enough to create an epic record that no other batter across the world in Women's international cricket in the shortest format of the game was able to do.
On two different occasions, the emerging Indian batter hit bowlers for sixes on the very first balls to open the innings for the Women in Blue. However, there are only two other batters in the world who have at least hoisted the ball for at least one maximum on the very first ball of an innings.
Along with Shafali Verma, Ireland's Amy Hunter and Hollan Doriga from Papua New Guinea are in the list of the women's T20I batters who took the bowlers to the stands to open the account. Notably, on four occasions, four Pakistan women went into the record books for wrong reasons.
Pakistan bowlers in the record list for the wrong reasons
Amy Hunter was the first-ever women's T20I batter to hit six off the first ball of a women's T20I innings. She claimed the achievement in 2025 by smashing the ball off Fatima Sana, the Pakistan cricket team captain. In 202atin Edgbaston, first etched her name in the record by hitting the ball off Pakistan bowler Sadia Iqbal. On September 5 night, Verma targeted Sadia again on the very first ball of the innings.
Six off the first ball of a Women’s T20I innings
1. Amy Hunter (Ireland) off Fatima Sana (Pakistan) in Dublin, 2025
2. Hollan Doriga (Papua New Guinea) off Saima Tuhadeleni (Namibia) in Kathmandu, 2026
3. Shafali Verma (India) off Sadia Iqbal (Pakistan) in Edgbaston, 2026
4. Shafali Verma (India) off Sadia Iqbal (Pakistan) in Dubai, 2026
3,000 T20I runs for Shafali Verma
The match became important to Shafali Verma for another reason. Through her short but effective knock, the opener completed 3,000 runs in women’s T20Is.
Shafali is the third Indian after Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur to score 3,000 or more runs in women’s T20Is. She touched the milestone at the age of only 22 years and 220 days.
