Shafali Verma breaks record for most 50-plus scores in a calendar year

Shafali Verma scored 55 off 25 balls as India chased down Zimbabwe's 102 for the loss of eight wickets inside 8.5 overs to win the second T20I by nine wickets in Raipur on Sunday. The left-handed opener struck six fours and four sixes, reaching her fifty in 24 balls and finishing the match unbeaten alongside captain Smriti Mandhana, who remained on 47 from 25 deliveries.

The innings took Shafali's tally of 50-plus scores in women's T20Is in 2026 to nine across 26 matches, with one century and eight fifties. She has now accumulated 922 runs this calendar year, surpassing the previous record of eight half-centuries set by Smriti Mandhana in 2024.

Zimbabwe posted 102 for eight in their 20 overs after being inserted. Shafali has now crossed fifty in four of her last ten innings across all formats.