Deepti Sharma completes remarkable milestone against West Indies in Women’s 20-20 World Cup 2023

India played against West Indies at the Newlands, Cape Town in their second match of the Women’s 20-20 World Cup 2022 on Wednesday, February 15th. India star all-rounder Deepti Sharma went on to pass the leg-spinner Poonam Yadav to become the highest wicket-taker in T20Is for the team India. She went past Poonam Yadav’s record of 98 wickets in 72 matches. Also, she became the first bowler to pick hundred T20I wickets for Women in Blue.

Overall, she became the 9th player in women’s cricket after Anisa Mohammed, Nida Dar, Ellyse Perry, Shabnim Ismail, Meghan Schutt, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Devine, and Anya Shrubsole. On the other hand for Men in Blue, the highest wicket-takers in T20Is are leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and right-arm seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Chahal has 91 wickets in 75 matches whereas on the other side, Bhuvneswar has snapped 90 wickets from 87 matches.

Deepti Sharma shines in India’s victory: 

Deepti bowled two economical overs in the starting where she gave away only one boundary. She broke a dangerous-looking partnership between Shemaine Campbelle and Stafanie Taylor. Both batters together build up a partnership of 73 runs for this second wicket before Campbell was sent back to the pavilion after scoring 30 runs off 36 balls with three boundaries.

In the second over of the innings, Indian pacer Pooja Vastrakar sent back the Carribean skipper Healy Matthews. Deepti was awarded the Player of the Match award for her brilliant performance with the ball. She gave away just 15 runs in her spell of four overs. She took three important wickets as well in her spell.

“I feel good. What we discussed in the meeting and the plans I had against the West Indies batters, we were able to apply that in the middle. That is a milestone and I am happy with the achievement (first Indian to 100 T20I wickets). I am focusing on the rest of the World Cup games. There is a bit of turn in this surface and I focus on bowling stump to stump,” Deepti said at the post match presentation after recieving the Player of the Match award