"I Knew Today's Her Day": Harmanpreet's Gut Feeling Turns Shafali Verma Into World Cup Game-Changer

In a moment that epitomized the unpredictability and magic of championship cricket, India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur made an unconventional gamble that transformed the Women's World Cup final. With South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus building momentum through a promising 52-run partnership, Harmanpreet threw the ball to Shafali Verma—a 21-year-old opening batter with just 14 career overs of international cricket and zero matches in the tournament before the semifinal—and watched as destiny unfolded in the most spectacular fashion imaginable.

The Gut Feeling That Changed Everything

At the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 3, 2025, with South Africa positioned for a possible upset, Harmanpreet made a decision that would define the match.

"When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking really good, and I just saw Shafali standing there. And the way she was batting today, I knew today's her day," Harmanpreet revealed at the presentation ceremony, her eyes glistening with emotion. "She was doing something special today, and I just thought I have to go with my gut feeling. If my heart is saying I should give at least one over to her, I'm going to give her."

The captain continued, "And then I just asked her, 'can you bowl one over?' And she was so ready, and she's always wanted to bowl for the team. I think that was a turning point for us."

The Backstory: From Outsider to Insider Shafali's presence in the World Cup final was itself improbable. She wasn't selected in the original 15-member squad—she wasn't even named as a reserve. It was only when Pratika Rawal suffered an ankle injury during India's final group-stage match against Bangladesh that Shafali was rushed into the squad before the semifinal against Australia.

Many thought Shafali would be a peripheral squad member—a batter potentially sent in lower down the order if needed. But within minutes of joining the squad, a remarkable conversation took place between Shafali and the Indian management.

"When she came to the team, that time we spoke to her, 'we might need your two or three overs'. And she was like, 'you know, if you give me the bowling, I'm going to bowl 10 overs for the team,'" Harmanpreet revealed, still amazed by Shafali's confidence. "And that showed how confident she was to bowl for the team. Credit goes to her. She was so positive."

The Golden Arm Arrives

When Shafali finally received the ball in the 21st over of South Africa's chase, few expected what would unfold. But the 21-year-old opener, whose dominant batting has made her a household name in Indian cricket, had been preparing for this moment.

Her first delivery was a 95 kph dart aimed at Sune Luus. The second ball was a teasing 81 kph off-break. Luus, looking to work it fine, ended up chipping it straight back to Shafali, who caught it with barely concealed delight. The 52-run partnership was broken, momentum had shifted, and the crowd erupted.

In her second over, Shafali produced a delivery that spun back into Marizanne Kapp, who edged it to Richa Ghosh behind the stumps. Another crucial wicket.

By the end of her abbreviated seven-over spell, Shafali had taken 2/36—her second career wicket coming from her second international bowling performance at the World Cup level.

A Career-Best 87 Paves the Way

Before taking those crucial wickets, Shafali had already made her mark on the final with the bat. Her 87 off 78 balls—studded with seven fours and two sixes—demonstrated a maturity that belied her age and inexperience.

After the initial aggression, Smriti Mandhana had gestured to her to exercise patience. For a remarkable 20 balls, Shafali didn't hit a single boundary—a demonstration of tactical awareness rarely seen in such a young, naturally aggressive batter. But when she did strike, it was with purpose and placement rather than recklessness.

One shot stood out: against Nadine de Klerk, Shafali advanced down the pitch and lifted her straight back over the bowler's head for six, holding the pose as she walked down the pitch with the confidence of a player performing on the biggest stages repeatedly. The crowd, sensing something special was happening, roared with appreciation.

Her 87 powered India to 298/7—a total that would prove sufficient thanks to the combined brilliance of her batting and bowling, and the magic of Deepti Sharma's five-wicket haul.

South Africa's Perspective: The Surprise Factor Even South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, who played a captain's knock of 101, acknowledged the strategic brilliance of Harmanpreet's gamble.

"Yeah, didn't really expect her to bowl much today. So, a bit of a surprise factor from them. She just kind of bowled with front of the hand and really slow and was able to pick up a couple of wickets," Wolvaardt said after the match, her frustration evident. "In a World Cup final, you don't want to lose wickets to a part-time bowler. But frustrating that she was able to pick up two big ones as well, and yeah, then almost had to own the side of caution to not give her any more wickets. So yeah, she bowled pretty well."

Wolvaardt's acknowledgment of being "frustrated" to lose wickets to Shafali underscored how effectively Harmanpreet's unconventional move had worked. South Africa's meticulous preparation for the final hadn't accounted for an opening batter with minimal bowling experience becoming a game-changer.

The Domestic Cricket Foundation

What few knew was that Shafali had been bowling extensively in domestic cricket—not just casually, but with genuine commitment to developing her off-break bowling.

In the 2024-25 Senior Women's One-Day Trophy, she picked up eight wickets in seven games while also finishing as the tournament's top run-getter. In the recent domestic T20 Trophy, she added another eight wickets in six matches while again leading the run-scorers.

This foundation of serious bowling practice in domestic cricket was exactly what Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar had identified when Shafali joined the squad before the semifinal. They understood that behind her reputation as a batter lay a developing all-round skill set.

Player of the Match: The Ultimate Validation For her performance—87 runs with the bat and 2/36 with the ball—Shafali was adjudged Player of the Match, becoming the hero of India's maiden World Cup triumph.

When asked about her emotions, Shafali was remarkably composed despite her breakthrough moment: "I said at the start that God has sent me here to do something nice, and that reflected today. Very happy that we won and I cannot express it in words."

She revealed the mental clarity that had allowed her to transition seamlessly from batting to bowling: "It was difficult but I had confidence in myself that if I can stay calm, I could achieve everything. I just wanted to make my team win. My mind was clear, and I worked on my plans. So, I'm happy that I could execute them and everyone was supporting me."

The Turning Point

Harmanpreet's analysis of why the Shafali moment was the turning point proved accurate. After Shafali took her two wickets, South Africa's momentum dissipated. The Proteas, who had been building promising partnerships, suddenly found themselves losing key batters. Deepti Sharma then took over, claiming five wickets as South Africa collapsed in their final stages.

India's last five wickets fell for just 37 runs, turning what had looked like a competitive chase into a losing effort. The shift coincided precisely with Shafali's intervention.

A New Template for Cricket

Shafali's performance—and more importantly, Harmanpreet's willingness to trust her gut—established a new template for World Cup cricket. In an era where specialization has become the norm, here was a young batter being deployed as a bowler not because of desperation, but because the captain's intuition—combined with the player's own confidence and domestic form—suggested it could work.

The fact that it worked spectacularly underscores cricket's beautiful unpredictability and the importance of trusting instinct when that instinct is backed by genuine capability.