Deepti Sharma Joins Elite Company; First Spinner and Only the 2nd Bowler after Jhulan Goswami to Surpass 350 International Wickets
Deepti Sharma’s spellbinding display against Pakistan at Edgbaston on 14 June 2026 did more than seal India’s T20 World Cup opener; it elevated her into a rarefied, different league of women’s cricket history. The 28-year-old left-handed batter and off-spin all-rounder became only the second bowler, ironically both of them are Indians, as Deepti Sharma joined former legend Jhulan Goswami at the bowling summit of women’s cricket. What spotlights her achievement even more is the fact that she is the first specialist spinner worldwide to surpass 350 international wickets across formats.
Her match figures of 4–0–10–5, including three scalps in the 17th over of Pakistan’s chase, not only handed India a 64-run victory but also set a new benchmark for Indian bowling performances in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history. In Birmingham, Deepti’s T20I credentials were emphatically underlined.
Coming into the tournament as the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 internationals, she produced career-best World Cup figures to dismantle Pakistan for 106 in 17 overs after India posted 170/6. Her five-wicket haul at Edgbaston surpassed Renuka Singh’s previous best (4–0–15–5 at Gqeberha, 2023) and added to her growing tournament legacy. Across ICC Women’s T20 World Cups, now in her fifth campaign since debuting in the event in 2018, Deepti has taken 24 wickets in 20 innings at an average of 21.12 and an economy of 6.68, including this match’s five-for. Her quick-fire 12* with the bat at the death also exemplified the dual value she brings in short-format cricket and earned her Player of the Match honours in the high-pressure opener against arch-rivals.
Deepti’s sustained excellence in 50-over cricket laid the foundation for her international haul. Since debuting in ODIs on 28 November 2014 against South Africa in Bengaluru, she has claimed 166 ODI wickets in 123 innings at an average of 27.69 and an economy of 4.45. Her record includes multiple impactful spells: three four-wicket hauls, two five-wicket hauls and two astonishing six-wicket hauls.
The standout remains her career-best outing on 19 February 2016 in Ranchi (9.2–1–20–6) against Sri Lanka, a performance that propelled India to victory and underscored her ability to seize matches with sustained accuracy and clever variations.
Deepti’s red-ball resume reinforces her status as a complete all-format bowler. Since making her Test debut on 16 June 2021 at Bristol, she has taken 22 wickets in nine innings and 6 matches at an average of 19.50 and an economy of 2.37. Her most remarkable Test display came at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on 14 December 2023, when she produced match figures of 13.3–6–39–9 to help India to a resounding 347-run win; the effort earned her Player of the Match and showcased her endurance, control, and wicket-taking craft across two innings.
With this landmark, Deepti stands at 354* international wickets, closing in on former Indian great Jhulan Goswami (355) and taking second place among the all-time wicket-takers in women’s cricket. On the global leaderboard, she now sits ahead of former England pacer Katherine Sciver-Brunt (335) and Australia’s Ellyse Perry (332*), while England’s Sophie Ecclestone remains among the elite with 327* scalps. Crucially, Deepti becomes the first spinner in women’s international cricket to breach the 350-wicket barrier, a milestone that highlights how spin has matured into a consistently potent force across formats.
Deepti Sharma’s rise is more than an accumulation of tallies; it reflects adaptability and evolution. She has combined economy and guile in white-ball cricket with the stamina and nuance required in Tests, while also contributing useful runs down the order. Her capacity to perform under pressure, epitomised by her vital, death-overs heroics at Edgbaston that wrapped up Pakistan’s chase, makes her a match-winner in modern women’s cricket.
As India continues their T20 World Cup campaign, Deepti’s landmark will be both a personal zenith and a potent reminder of how spin and all-round skill shape outcomes at the highest level. Will she overtake Jhulan’s all-format record? The chase is on, and for now, Deepti Sharma has stamped herself as one of the defining bowlers of her era.
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