In a historic moment for Indian cricket, Deepti Sharma achieved a remarkable milestone on Sunday by becoming the highest wicket-taker in Women’s T20 International (T20I) cricket. This achievement came during India’s opening match of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup against Thailand, where India secured a commanding 94-run victory in Dubai.
Playing in her 150th T20I match, Deepti delivered an extraordinary bowling performance, claiming three wickets without conceding a single run in just seven deliveries. This stellar outing brought her career tally to 171 wickets, surpassing Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong, who finished the match with one wicket and now has 170 wickets to her name.
The veteran all-rounder’s journey to this record began in the ninth over of the match when she took two critical wickets, leaving Thailand struggling at 44 for 6. Deepti then returned to bowl in the 17th over, where she struck immediately, dismissing wicketkeeper Nannapat Koncharoenkai with her first delivery, thus completing her remarkable figures of 3 for 0. This performance not only marked a personal achievement for Deepti but also established her as the first Indian bowler to take three or more wickets without conceding any runs in a Women’s T20I match.
Deepti's record-breaking figures of 3/0 are now the best for any Indian bowler who has taken at least three wickets in a T20I, surpassing the previous record held by Renuka Singh, who had figures of 3/5 against Sri Lanka in Sylhet in 2022. This achievement places Deepti at the pinnacle of the global wicket-taking charts in Women’s T20Is, with Rwanda’s Henriette Ishimwe and England’s Sophie Ecclestone following her with 164 and 154 wickets, respectively.
In addition to her bowling heroics, Deepti’s milestone day was further highlighted as she became only the third Indian woman to reach 150 T20I appearances, joining the ranks of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. This accomplishment underscores her significant contribution to Indian cricket and her longevity in the sport.
Prior to Deepti’s record-breaking performance, Shafali Verma provided a strong foundation for India with a blistering innings of 64 runs off just 36 balls, which included eight fours and three sixes. Shafali reached her 19th T20I half-century in a mere 26 deliveries, propelling India past the 100-run mark within the first ten overs. However, Thailand's leg-spinner Suleeporn Laomi made a remarkable comeback for her team, taking three wickets for 26 runs, which triggered a collapse in the Indian batting lineup.
Despite the late-order collapse, India managed to post a total of 159 runs for the loss of nine wickets. Kranti Gaud’s unbeaten 15 runs off eight balls provided a much-needed boost towards the end of the innings. Thailand’s chase faltered from the start, with Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma quickly removing the openers. Deepti Sharma and Shree Charani then dismantled the middle order, with Charani finishing with impressive figures of 2 for 10.
Thailand's innings concluded at just 65 runs in 16.1 overs, with Nannapat Koncharoenkai being the only player to offer notable resistance with her 41 runs. Deepti's outstanding performance not only secured a win for India but also set the tone for their campaign in the tournament. With this victory, India begins their Group A campaign on a high note, looking ahead to their next match against Hong Kong on Thursday.
Leave a Comment