Indian women’s cricket team opener Shafali Verma became the youngest debutant for the country across all formats when the talented opener took the field for the first ODI against England women on Sunday.
A proud moment for our thunderbolt @TheShafaliVerma as she is presented with #TeamIndia 131 from captain @M_Raj03. Here's hoping she has a smashing debut. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/ZsmL9Jb68Y
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) June 27, 2021
Shafali was presented with India Women's ODI cap number 131 by captain Mithali Raj. She went past Smriti Mandhana, who previously held the record at 18 years and 26 days. Among the men’s national team, pacer Ishant Sharma continues to be the record holder.
Youngest cricketers to play for India (men and women)
| Player | All formats | Test | ODI | T20I |
| Shafali Verma | 17 years, 150 days | 17 years, 139 days | 17 years, 150 days | 15 years, 239 days |
| Smriti Mandhana | 18 years, 26 days | 18 years, 26 days | 16 years, 266 days | 16 years, 261 days |
| Ishant Sharma | 19 years, 152 days | 18 years, 265 days | 18 years, 300 days | 19 years, 152 days |
| Rishabh Pant | 21 years, 17 days | 20 years, 318 days | 21 years, 17 days | 19 years, 120 days |
| Washington Sundar | 21 years, 102 days | 21 years, 102 days | 18 years, 69 days | 18 years, 80 days |
Shafali made 15 off 14 balls in her first ODI, hitting three fours before being dismissed. Among her debuts across all three formats, the 17-year-old’s Test bow stands out as she scored the highest score by an Indian women’s cricketer playing her first match. Furthermore, Shafali became the youngest woman to hit two half-centuries in her first game (96, 63 at Bristol).
Highest scores on debut by Indian women in Test cricket
| Runs | Player | Match inning | Opposition | Venue | Date |
| 96 | Shafali Verma | 2 | England | Bristol | June 17, 2021 |
| 80* | Sneh Rana | 3 | England | Bristol | June 19, 2021 |
| 75 | Chanderkanta Kaul | 1 | New Zealand | Nelson | February 7, 1995 |
| 74 | Shanta Rangaswamy | 2 | West Indies | Bangalore | November 1, 1976 |
| 71 | Sandhya Agarwal | 1 | Australia | Ahmedabad | February 3, 1984 |
| 69 | Shobha Pandit | 2 | West Indies | Bangalore | November 1, 1976 |
Shafali Verma, who made her T20I debut for India at the age of 15, became the fifth-youngest to play in all three formats of the game, and the third-youngest among women after former England wicket-keeper batsman Sarah Taylor and Australian star all-rounder Ellyse Perry.
Youngest cricketers across all formats (men and women)
| Player | All formats | Test | ODI | T20I |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 17 years, 78 days | 17 years, 78 days | 16 years, 252 days | 16 years, 314 days |
| Sarah Taylor | 17 years, 86 days | 17 years, 80 days | 17 years, 86 days | 17 years, 77 days |
| Ellyse Perry | 17 years, 104 days | 17 years, 104 days | 16 years, 261 days | 17 years, 90 days |
| Mohammad Amir | 21 years, 17 days | 17 years, 82 days | 17 years, 108 days | 17 years, 55 days |
| Shafali Verma | 17 years, 150 days | 17 years, 139 days | 17 years, 150 days | 15 years, 239 days |
Featured photo: Twitter / BCCI
