At just 25, this Indian all-rounder has already made an unforgettable impact on international cricket. With 180 international appearances across formats, she is a true force to be reckoned with. With the ball, she holds the distinction of being the first Indian to achieve an impressive milestone of 100 T20I wickets. With the bat, she has a remarkable career-best score of 188. On the field, she is renowned for her exceptional fielding abilities, particularly direct hits.
She can bat, she can bowl, she can field, and she is synonymous with excellence – she is Deepti Sharma.
Following India’s tour of Bangladesh, Deepti Sharma linked up with her Women’s Premier League team, Uttar Pradesh Warriorz (UPW), for an off-season skill camp in Bangalore. During her time in Bangladesh, she was accompanied by Rashi Kanojiya, an emerging spinner from Agra. Interestingly, Rashi had grown up idolizing Deepti and a select few others from their home state of Uttar Pradesh’s cricket team.
Female Cricket got in an exclusive conversation with Deepti Sharma and when asked about her experience of sharing the dressing room with someone like Rashi who has looked up to her, Deepti replied, “It feels positive, a sense of pride, it’s nice to know that someone is learning from watching us, just as we did. I don’t feel any pressure, it’s just about how I can improve and help the up-and-coming generation of cricketers.”
A pivotal moment etched its place in the annals of women’s cricket earlier this year with the launch of the Women’s Premier League. For thousands of budding cricketers like Rashi Kanojiya, the WPL is everything they need ahead of international exposure.
Shedding light on whether the WPL will mark a turning point similar to the 2017 Women’s World Cup, Deepti Sharma stated, “Absolutely! Previously there only was a domestic circuit, and now that the WPL has also started, I’m sure that the new players, the domestic players, will receive a lot of help, they will get many matches, and the most important thing, gradually all the matches are also being broadcasted live, so it’ll help them.”
Deepti Sharma’s versatility extends across formats. In a couple of Test matches she’s played, she recorded 152 runs and 5 wickets. In white-ball cricket, her performance is equally commendable – boasting 1912 runs and 93 wickets in 83 ODIs, 955 runs and 105 wickets in 95 T20Is.
Her numbers reflect her valuable contributions to the team and when we asked about any particular records she aims for, Deepti stated, “My goal is to become one of the best all-rounders. When I started playing and when I play for India, the only thing on my mind is to become a good all-rounder. I always think the same, after every series, after every session, how I can improve myself.”
With nearly 9 years of her career behind her, Deepti looks back with a sense of satisfaction at the journey she has traveled, sharing, “The journey has been quite good, played a lot of matches, participated in World Cups, there have been many positives, and a few ups and downs as well, but after that, making a comeback, playing matches as a challenge, it has been satisfying from then until now.”
Full Video Interview will soon be published on Female Cricket’s YouTube Channel.
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