Shafali Verma Scripts History: Smashes First-Ever Century in Asian Games Cricket

BY: Mahima Kansal

NISSHIN, JAPAN – Indian opening sensation Shafali Verma etched her name permanently into the history books on September 20, 2026, becoming the first cricketer ever to score a century in the history of the Asian Games. The 22-year-old dynamic batter unleashed an absolute masterclass during India's high-stakes semifinal clash against Bangladesh at the Korogi Sports Park, propelling the Women in Blue into the gold medal match in spectacular fashion.

The Knock That Broke the Record Books

 Opening the batting, Verma carried her bat through the innings, blasting an unbeaten 100 runs off just 49 balls. Her explosive knock was studded with 9 towering sixes and 3 boundaries, anchoring India to a massive total of 195/4 in their allotted 20 overs. The Bangladesh bowling attack had no answers for Verma’s brute power and precise placement. Her blistering strike rate of 204.08 single-handedly took the game away from the opposition, setting up a mammoth 114-run victory as Bangladesh collapsed for a mere 81 runs in reply. 

A Night of Multiple Milestones

 Verma’s historic ton wasn't the only record to tumble during her blitzkrieg in Japan. The young opener managed to shattering multiple long-standing milestones in a single evening: India's Ultimate Six-Hitter: With her 9 sixes during the match, Verma crossed 104 career T20I sixes, overtaking her opening partner Smriti Mandhana to become India’s highest six-hitter in women's T20 Internationals. 

A New World Record

Shefali took her calendar-year tally to 35 T20I sixes in 2026 alone, eclipsing Sri Lankan legend Chamari Athapaththu’s previous world record of 32 sixes set in 2024. Joint-Fastest for India: Her 49-ball hundred also equalled the record for the joint-fastest T20I century by an Indian woman. 

Eyes on the Gold Medal 

With this dominant victory, India has marched directly into the final, where they are scheduled to face a formidable Sri Lankan side for the ultimate prize. 

Having already established herself as one of the most dangerous clean-hitters in the modern game, Verma's historic Asian Games century signals that the young prodigy is peaking at the perfect time to bring home the gold for India.