India’s women’s cricket team enters the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup inspired by the men’s recent success, aiming to win their first senior World Cup title.
All-rounder Deepti Sharma emphasised that the team feels more motivated than pressured, as they prepare for this major event. “I wouldn’t say pressure because the World Cup is a big event for each and every player, but personally I’m motivated with the men’s World Cup they took home,” she said. “We are doing a really good job throughout each and every series and every tournament, and I won’t say it’s a pressure, but we will do our best.”
India has come agonisingly close to lifting the trophy before, finishing runners-up in the 2020 T20 World Cup and reaching the finals of the ODI World Cup twice, in 2005 and 2017.
Deepti recalls the 2017 final, which India narrowly lost to England by nine runs at Lord’s, as a turning point for women’s cricket in India in terms of fan engagement. Deepti highlighted the growing popularity of the sport.
“The World Cup gives a lot of confidence that we can do our best, and small girls, when they come to watch our series in India—in Bangalore, we played the South Africa series—they were like, ‘I want autographs’ and ‘I want pictures,’ so it’s great to watch them,” she said. “And they said, ‘I also started playing cricket.’ We just told them, ‘don’t give up, just play your best and don’t think about the result, results will come, just express yourself.’”
She believes that a World Cup win would change everything, inspiring even more young women to play cricket. “If we win the World Cup, things will really change from every perspective and each woman will want to play cricket after that, so I’m hoping for the best.”
The rise of women’s franchise leagues has also had a huge impact on the visibility of players, and Deepti has been a significant part of this change. In the 2024 WPL season, she was named MVP, scoring 295 runs at a strike rate of 136.57 and taking 10 wickets for UP Warriorz. During her second season with London Spirit in The Hundred, Deepti contributed 212 runs and took eight wickets, helping her team win their first title.
She has also been picked up by Melbourne Stars in WBBL 2024. These opportunities to play with and against international stars have helped demystify her World Cup opponents. Reflecting on her experience, Deepti said, “Now, when we face them in the World Cup, it’s easier to approach the game.”
India’s journey leading up to the World Cup has been a mix of promising performances and unexpected setbacks. They swept South Africa 3-0 in an ODI series, only to lose the opening T20I. In the Women’s Asia Cup, India reached the final but were stunned by Sri Lanka. Despite these hiccups, Deepti remains optimistic. “We’re quite positive as a team,” she said. “We are doing really well, and we are thinking that each and every game is important, so whether we are playing any team, we are quite focused.”
Deepti’s T20 World Cup debut came in 2018, and since then, she has been a consistent performer. Over 15 matches, she has taken 15 wickets, with her best figures being 3 for 15 against the West Indies in 2023. In the 2020 World Cup opener, she scored an unbeaten 49 against Australia, further showcasing her value to the team.
India has faced heartbreak in previous editions of the T20 World Cup with the most recent being against Australia in the semifinal of the 2023 edition. However, the team remains driven to finally lift the trophy this time around. “We’re quite positive as a team,” Deepti said. If India does triumph in Dubai on October 20, it will be a monumental achievement for the team and women’s cricket in India.
India’s upcoming campaign begins on October 4, when they face New Zealand in their first group-stage match, followed by clashes with Australia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Deepti’s role will be pivotal, especially given her dual ability with both bat and ball. In T20Is, she has cemented her place as one of India’s most reliable bowlers, with 131 wickets in 114 innings at an economy rate of 5.97. On the batting front, she has amassed over 1,020 runs at a strike rate of 104.29. Her experience in spin-friendly conditions will be key in the UAE, where India will rely heavily on their spin attack.
India’s World Cup Squad:
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan
Travelling Reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor
Non-Travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra
(Quotes sourced from ESPN)