All-rounder Deepti Sharma ran through Pakistan’s batter order on Sunday evening, helping India register a sensational 64-run win in their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign opener. She entered the contest on the back of a horrible tour of Australia and South Africa, where she neither scored runs nor got many wickets except in odd games. But on Sunday, she registered her career-best.
Deepti returned a five-wicket haul, her second in women’s T20Is, that never allowed Pakistan to stay in the hunt. The figures of 5 for 10 in 4 overs not only added to Deepti’s stupendous record in ICC tourneys, but also took her tally of international wickets to 354. She is now just 2 wickets away from scripting history in women’s international cricket.
Former India
pacer Jhulan Goswami is currently the highest wicket-taker in international cricket with 355 scalps. Deepti, who is currently at 354, needs 2 wickets more to create history.
Most Wickets In Women’s International Cricket
| Player Name | T20I Wickets | ODI Wickets | Test Wickets | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jhulan Goswami | 56 | 255 | 44 | 355 |
| Deepti Sharma | 166 | 166 | 22 | 354 |
| Katherine Sciver-Brunt | 114 | 170 | 51 | 335 |
| Ellyse Perry | 127 | 166 | 39 | 332 |
| Sophie Ecclestone | 146 | 141 | 40 | 327 |
Deepti bagged the Player of the Match award for her career-best returns. She said she was never overtly worried during the first part of 2026 when she was not getting wickets, as she knew that her time would come sooner or later.
“I wasn’t worried when I didn’t get wickets because I knew when the right time would come, I would step up,” Deepti said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“I like these kinds of wickets because there was turn on offer. I varied my pace. Because the ball was turning, I had to be slow in the air and believe in myself and bowl in the right areas. But I want to specially mention the partnership (91 runs) between Smriti (Mandhana) and Harry di (Harmanpreet Kaur),” Deepti said.
