Deepti Sharma

Hailing from the small city of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Deepti Sharma is a rising all-rounder and one of the best in the business. A useful spinner, Deepti is especially noted for her high-level of maturity, which is ironic considering she is one of the youngest in the national squad.

Deepti started her career as a medium-pacer before shifting to off-spin. She was rejected twice in the U-19 state trials for being too young. During her attempt for the U19 Uttar Pradesh team, Deepti scored 65 runs and picked three wickets in her debut match, and made it to the team in 2010. For the next two years, Deepti trained hard and played well for the U 19 UP side. However, it was a 114 against the Vidharbha women in Kanpur that allowed her to break into the senior team.

Her solid performances in the domestic circuit ensured that she got a well-deserved call-up for India A. In 2014, Deepti scored an unbeaten 53 for India A and earned her maiden National team call-up.

Deepti made her ODI International debut in 2014 against South Africa in the 2014 ICC Women’s Championship held in India. She had a forgetful first innings as she scored just 1 run off 18 balls before being dismissed but scalped two wickets of well-set batters. She ended with a figure of 2/35 in an impressive debut. 

Deepti Sharma was a part of the historic 320 run partnership with Punam Raut against Ireland in May 2017 which is the most by any cricketing pair in both men and women’s division. She scored an incredible century smashing 27 fours to score 188 off 160 balls.

Deepti’s career highlight was the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup. where she was one of the best all-rounders in the competition. She started the competition with the best bowling figures of 3/47 in India’s thumping win over England. Although she was impressive throughout the group stage, her best performance came in the final stages of the competition. In the semifinals against Australia, Deepti scored 25 runs and scalped three wickets for 59 runs as India won the match by 36 runs.

Added to the Indian side for the 2018 ICC Twenty20 World Cup, Deepti just took 5 wickets throughout the competition with her best being 2 for 15 in 3 overs against Ireland. In the semis against England, Deepti finished with 1/24 and scored 7 runs. However, it was not enough to stop the well-determined English side. 

In January 2020, she was added to the Women’s team for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.  Deepti played an unbeaten inning of 49 before Poonam Yadav’s brilliance ensured the champions were bowled out for 115 in their first group match against the Aussies.

(As of March 2021)