Shafali Verma’s knock goes in vain, but India creates History with first T20I series win in England

The Indian women’s team faced a last-ball defeat in a thrilling T20 clash in Birmingham. Despite Shafali Verma’s explosive 75-run knock, India fell short against England.

While the Indian men’s team is busy with the Test series, the Indian women’s team is also on tour in England. The fifth and final match of the thrilling five-match T20I series was played on Saturday in Birmingham. It turned out to be a nail-biting contest, with India narrowly losing on the final ball of the last over. Despite the defeat, Team India made history by winning the series 3–2 their first-ever bilateral T20I series win on English soil. Young batter Shafali Verma played a blistering knock in the final match, showcasing her explosive form.

India’s opener Shafali Verma put on a fiery show in the fifth T20I, scoring 75 runs off just 41 balls at a strike rate of 182.93. Her innings included 13 boundaries and a six. However, despite her explosive knock, India couldn’t seal the win. In the match played at Edgbaston, England won the toss and opted to bowl first.

In response, India batted first and posted 167 for 7 in their 20 overs. Apart from Shafali Verma’s explosive knock, no other batter made a significant impact. For England, Charlie Dean emerged as the most successful bowler, picking up 3 crucial wickets.

England successfully chased the target of 168 runs on the very last ball of the final over. Danni Wyatt was the top scorer with 56 runs, while Sophia Dunkley contributed a solid 46. Captain Tamsin Beaumont also chipped in with a valuable 30. For India, Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy picked up two wickets each, while Radha Yadav claimed one.

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