Shafali wins ICC women’s player of the month award for November
Drafted as a late replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal, Shafali seized her moment in the spotlight with a fluent 87 off 78 balls – the highest score by an Indian opener in a World Cup final.
Her aggressive start, combined with a record 100-run partnership alongside India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, set the tone for India posting 298/7. Shafali’s impact went beyond her batting – striking twice in quick succession to dismiss Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp and breaking South Africa’s momentum.
Shafali finished with figures of 2-36 from seven overs and capped off a remarkable all-round performance for the youngster, who delivered on the biggest stage to help secure India’s historic triumph.
"My first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup experience didn’t go as I expected, but it ended far better than I could have ever wished or imagined. I’m grateful that I could contribute to the team’s success in the Final and that I was able to be a part of making history in winning the World Cup for the first time and in front of a home crowd.
"I'm truly honoured to be named the Women’s Player of the Month for November. I dedicate this award to my teammates, coaches, family and everyone who has supported my journey until now. We win and lose as a team, the same goes for this award," said Shafali in a statement by the ICC on Monday.
Shafali edged out competition from Thipatcha Putthawong of Thailand and Esha Oza of the UAE to secure her first-ever Player of the Month award, as India became the fourth team to win a Women’s ODI World Cup.
The accolade marked a remarkable turnaround for Shafali, who had previously been dropped from India’s ODI squad and worked her way through domestic cricket to rediscover her form before earning a recall for the World Cup. Shafali will next be seen in action when India faces Sri Lanka in the five-match T20I series starting on December 21 in Visakhapatnam.
