Shafali Verma added two new world records to her name on Saturday, September 5, 2026. The Indian opener became both the youngest and the fastest player to reach 3,000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals, achieving the milestone during India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India needed just 56 runs to win after bowling Pakistan out for 55. Shafali needed only seven runs to reach her landmark, and she got there in the most Shafali way possible: smashing the very first ball of the chase for six, before taking a single off the next delivery to bring up 3,000 T20I runs.
Quick Facts: Shafali Verma’s 3,000 WT20I Runs Milestone
- Milestone reached: 3,000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals
- Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026
- Match: India vs Pakistan, Women’s Asia Cup 2026, Group A
- Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
- Age at milestone: 22 years and 220 days
- Previous youngest record: Gaby Lewis (Ireland), 24 years and 347 days
- Balls needed to reach milestone: 2,182
- Previous fastest (balls) record: Alyssa Healy (Australia), 2,321 balls
- Overall rank to reach 3,000 WT20I runs: 16th player globally
- Rank among Indian players: 3rd, after Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur
- WT20I debut year: 2019
Two Records, One Milestone
Shafali’s achievement stands out because it combines two separate records in a single moment. First, she became the youngest player in history to reach 3,000 Women’s T20I runs, getting there at 22 years and 220 days. This beat the previous record held by Ireland’s Gaby Lewis, who had reached the same milestone at 24 years and 347 days, more than two years older than Shafali.
Second, Shafali also became the fastest player to the milestone in terms of balls faced. She reached 3,000 runs having faced just 2,182 balls in her career, breaking the previous record of 2,321 balls held by Australia’s Alyssa Healy, who retired from international cricket earlier this year. Interestingly, Healy had also held the “youngest” record before Shafali broke both marks in one innings.
Shafali Verma’s Record-Breaking Milestone: Key Numbers at a Glance
| Metric | Shafali Verma | Previous Record Holder |
|---|---|---|
| Youngest to 3,000 WT20I runs | 22 years, 220 days | Gaby Lewis (Ireland) — 24 years, 347 days |
| Fastest to 3,000 WT20I runs (balls faced) | 2,182 balls | Alyssa Healy (Australia) — 2,321 balls |
| Fastest Indian by innings | 113th innings | Ahead of Mandhana (122) and Harmanpreet (135) |
| Fastest overall by innings | Not Shafali’s record | Beth Mooney (Australia) — 100 innings |
Not the Fastest by Innings, But Still Historic
It’s worth noting one nuance in Shafali’s achievement. While she became the fastest player to the milestone by balls faced, she is not the fastest by number of innings played. That record belongs to Australia’s Beth Mooney, who reached 3,000 WT20I runs in just 100 innings.
Even so, Shafali’s 113th-innings milestone still makes her the fastest Indian to the landmark, comfortably ahead of Smriti Mandhana, who took 122 innings, and Harmanpreet Kaur, who took 135 innings, to reach the same mark. This distinction highlights just how efficiently Shafali has accumulated runs relative to her fellow Indian batters, even if Mooney’s innings-based record remains out of reach for now.
How the Milestone Innings Unfolded
Chasing a modest target of 56 after India’s bowlers dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup, Shafali opened the innings in typically explosive fashion. She launched the very first ball of the chase over long-on for a six off Sadia Iqbal, before taking a single from the next delivery to move to 3,000 career T20I runs.
She continued in aggressive fashion after reaching the milestone, later hitting a boundary off Fatima Sana before eventually departing for 12 runs off just six balls, an innings that included one four and one six. Although her personal contribution was brief, India comfortably chased down the target, winning the match by seven wickets. Earlier in the innings, India’s bowling attack had bowled Pakistan out for just 55 runs, with Shree Charani and Prema Rawat each claiming three wickets and Deepti Sharma picking up two.
Joining an Elite Group of Indian Batters
Shafali’s milestone places her in select company. She is now only the third Indian woman, after Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, to reach 3,000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals. Globally, she becomes the 16th player overall to reach this landmark in the format.
Given that Shafali made her Women’s T20I debut for India back in 2019, reaching this milestone less than seven years into her international career further underlines just how prolific her run-scoring has been from a young age, a trend that first became evident when she became the youngest player to reach 1,000 T20I runs earlier in her career.
Why This Milestone Matters
Records like these carry weight beyond the immediate statistics. Shafali has built a reputation as one of the most aggressive, fearless openers in the women’s game since her debut, and these two records reflect both her longevity and her ability to score at pace throughout her career.
Given that she is still only 22 years old, Shafali appears well-positioned to continue climbing the all-time run-scoring charts in the format for years to come. With her fastest-by-balls record already secured and her innings-based tally still improving, further milestones look likely as her career progresses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About the Records
Shafali Verma became both the youngest and the fastest player, by balls faced, to reach 3,000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals.
She achieved the milestone on Saturday, September 5, 2026, during India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A match against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
She reached the milestone at 22 years and 220 days, making her the youngest player in history to do so.
She reached the milestone in 2,182 balls faced, the fewest by any player in Women’s T20I history.
She broke Ireland’s Gaby Lewis’s record for youngest player (24 years, 347 days) and Australia’s Alyssa Healy’s record for fastest by balls faced (2,321 balls).
Milestone Context and Broader Achievement
No. That record belongs to Australia’s Beth Mooney, who reached the milestone in 100 innings. Shafali reached it in her 113th innings, making her the fastest Indian by this measure, but not the fastest overall.
She is the third Indian woman to reach 3,000 WT20I runs, after Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur.
She hit the first ball of India’s chase for a six, then took a single off the next delivery to complete the seven runs she needed to reach 3,000 career runs.
India won by seven wickets after bowling Pakistan out for 55 runs, with Shree Charani and Prema Rawat taking three wickets each and Deepti Sharma taking two.
She made her debut for India in Women’s T20 Internationals in 2019, reaching the 3,000-run milestone less than seven years later.
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