As India opened their campaign against co-host Sri Lanka, led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu in the tournament opener at Guwahati in the 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 with a comprehensive 59-run win, all eyes were firmly on Deepti Sharma, with her all-round capabilities.
In a rain-interrupted contest at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Deepti yet again showed her value when her side was under immense pressure, scoring a vital half-century to revive the innings after India had collapsed to 124/6. Her knock of 53 off 53 balls marked her 16th ODI half-century, and, more importantly, underlined her ability to script fightbacks in crunch World Cup moments.
She delivered an all-round masterclass alongside a half-century with the bat, and she returned with impressive match figures (10-1-54-3) with the ball, which also earned her the Player of the Match award, against Sri Lanka.
The 28-year-old all-rounder, one of India’s most reliable match-winners, achieves a special milestone in their 2nd game of the campaign against Pakistan, led by skipper Fatima Sana, just 4 runs away (before the start of the game) from completing 4,000 international runs across formats. She surpassed the landmark en route to her gritty knock (25 off 33 balls) on a tricky and sluggish wicket. With that innings, she now has 4,021 runs across formats at the international level.
Deepti made her international debut on 28th November 2014 in an ODI against South Africa at Bengaluru. Since then, she has grown into a dependable top-order batter and a steady all-round option for India. Across 114 ODIs, she has scored 2,602 runs at an average of 37.71 and a strike rate of 69.85, featuring one century and 16 fifties.
Her most iconic innings remains the breathtaking 188 off 160 balls against Ireland in May 2017 during a quadrangular series in Potchefstroom. The knock, laced with 27 fours and 2 sixes, remains one of the highest scores ever in women’s ODIs and powered India to victory by a mammoth margin of 249 runs.
In the current World Cup, it was again Deepti who shouldered responsibility at a critical juncture against Pakistan. Walking in when India had just lost Harleen Deol (46 off 65 balls) in the 34th over, India lost Jemimah Rodrigues (32 off 37 balls) soon in the 35th over of the innings.
Deepti steadied the innings alongside Sneh Rana, building a crucial 42-run stand for the sixth wicket. Her efforts, followed by another quick-fire partnership involving Shree Charani, Kranti Goud (8 off 4 balls), with Richa Ghosh (35* off 20 balls) being the aggressor, guided India to a competitive 247 in 50 overs. Deepti’s composure has made her the bridge between India’s top and lower-middle order, a role she has perfected over a decade in ODI cricket.
Deepti’s T20I journey began on 31st January 2016 against Australia at Sydney. In 129 matches, she has contributed 1,100 runs at an average of 23.40 and a strike rate of 104.26, including two half-centuries. A hallmark of her T20I batting is her situational adaptability, often anchoring the innings or accelerating as the game demands.
One of her standout batting performances came during the Women’s Asia Cup on 4th October 2022, when she struck a fluent 64 off 49 balls against the UAE at Sylhet, including 5 boundaries and 2 sixes. That knock helped India secure a comprehensive 104-run win and further reinforced her versatility as an all-rounder in a fast-evolving T20I landscape.
Though India does not play Tests frequently, Deepti has been a revelation in the longest format since her debut on 16th June 2021 against England at Bristol. Across just five matches, she has scored 319 runs at an outstanding average of 63.80 and a strike rate of 43.93. Remarkably, she already has four half-centuries to her name in only eight innings.
Her highest score of 78 came against Australia on 21st December 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium, where she batted with immense resilience and stroke-play, striking nine boundaries. That innings was a classic example of her patience and temperament in red-ball cricket. With her adaptability across conditions, she has emerged as one of India’s most reliable batters in Tests.
As Deepti breaches the 4,000 international runs, she stands as one of the pillars of Indian women’s cricket at a critical juncture. More than just numbers, her contributions across formats tell the story of a player who consistently absorbs pressure and delivers in situations where India has needed her most. With Harmanpreet Kaur leading India for the first time in a World Cup campaign, and with the tournament returning to Indian soil after 12 years, Deepti’s milestone is a reminder of the steady progress of Indian women’s cricket over the past decade.
For a team still chasing its maiden World Cup trophy after finishing runners-up in 2005 and 2017, Deepti Sharma’s consistency and composure will play a crucial role in India’s bid for glory. Whether it is saving collapses in ODIs, adapting swiftly in T20Is, or holding firm in Tests, Deepti embodies the resilience that has defined India’s journey in women’s cricket.
Loves all things female cricket