Star All-rounder Deepti Sharma’s match-winning masterclass becomes T20I women’s leading wicket-taker and Registers best Indian World Cup bowling figures in a thumping win against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Deepti Sharma emphatically announced herself in India’s Women’s T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan at Edgbaston on 14 June 2026, producing a spell that not only wrapped up a thumping 64-run victory for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side but also rewrote two major entries in the record books.
The 28-year-old off-spinner finished with career-best figures of 4-0-10-5, claiming three wickets in her final over to bowl Pakistan out for 106 in the 17th over, and in doing so became the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 internationals and registered the best bowling figures by an Indian in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history.
India’s decision to bat first after winning the toss set the stage for a balanced team performance. Smriti Mandhana’s authoritative 68 off 44 anchored a 170/6, supported by Harmanpreet Kaur’s steady 36 and Richa Ghosh’s explosive 34 off 17 that gave the total late momentum. Deepti added a useful 12 not out off nine balls, a cameo that underlined her value in the lower order and hinted at the all-round contribution to follow.
Chasing 171, Pakistan’s innings got off to a flyer, but India pulled things back after the powerplay, and the Fatima Sana-led side never recovered from the sustained pressure of India’s attack; spinners Shree Charani (3-0-21-3), Shafali Verma (3-0-22-1) and Shreyanka Patil (3-0-17-0) tightened the screws, but it was Deepti’s final three wickets that finished the job and sealed the Player of the Match award as India secured an emphatic 64-run win.
Statistically, this was a landmark day for Deepti. Her 5-wicket haul in Birmingham moved her to the top of the all-time list of wickets in women’s T20 internationals, a testament to sustained excellence across formats and conditions. At the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup specifically, her 4-0-10-5 eclipsed Renuka Singh’s previous best by an Indian, 4-0-15-5 against England at Gqeberha in 2023, and pushed Deepti to extend the lead as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in World Cup history with 24 scalps at an average of 21.12 and an economy of 6.68 in 20 World Cup innings. This edition in England and Wales is Deepti’s fifth World Cup campaign since her tournament debut in Guyana on 9 November 2018, and the Edgbaston effort underlines how she has matured into a premier global T20 weapon.
Beyond tournament tallies, Deepti’s international record in the T20 format is imposing. Since making her T20I debut on 31 January 2016 against Australia in Sydney, she has claimed 166 wickets in international cricket across formats, with 145 matches and 142 bowling innings in T20 internationals producing those returns at an average of 19.42 and an economy of 6.29. Her haul includes multiple five-wicket hauls and a four-wicket performance, numbers that speak to a bowler capable of striking regularly and delivering game-turning spells.
The manner of Deepti’s decisive final over at Edgbaston captured both craft and temperament. After controlling the middle overs with tight lines, she exploited the pressure of the required run rate and a Pakistan lineup intent on acceleration, producing drift, subtle changes of pace and a well-disguised armball to claim three late wickets. That sequence not only ended the contest but demonstrated the rare combination of guile and composure that defines top-tier T20 spin bowling: the ability to vary tempo without losing control, and to find the boundary of risk where wickets are most likely.
For India, Deepti’s performance is a timely reminder of the depth in their spin stocks and the strategic value of multi-dimensional players. Her all-round presence, a left-hander who can contribute with useful lower-order runs and an off-spinner who thrives in pressure moments, gives the side balance in both innings. As the tournament progresses, her dual role will be vital: anchoring spin plans through the middle overs and providing the kind of finishing that turns tight chases into comfortable wins.
Deepti Sharma’s Edgbaston exploits will be remembered not only for the records they produced but for their context, a high-stakes World Cup opener against arch-rivals, executed with precision under pressure. At 28 and entering a fifth World Cup, Deepti has consolidated her place among the world’s leading T20 bowlers; if this spell is anything to go by, she will be central to India’s ambitions in the 2026 campaign.
Loves all things female cricket