Women’s T20 World Cup: Deepti Sharma becomes 1st Indian bowler to 100 T20 wickets, jolts West Indies in Cape Town

Deepti Sharma, on Thursday, February 15, became India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is.

The off-break bowler accomplished the feat in India’s T20 World Cup 2023 Group B match against Hayley Matthews’ West Indies at the Newlands in Cape Town.

Deepti went past leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, who has 98 wickets from 72 matches, to set a new record for India. She also became the first Indian bowler to pick up 100 wickets in T20Is and the ninth overall in women’s cricket after Anisa Mohammed, Nida Dar, Ellyse Perry, Shabnim Ismail, Megan Schutt, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Devine and Anya Shrubsole to the milestone.

Among the Indian men’s team, Yuzvendra Chahal is on top of the tree with 91 wickets from 75 matches. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is second in the list with 90 wickets from 87 matches.

As far as Deepti is concerned, she started her spell with two economical overs where she gave away only one boundary. Thereafter, she broke a dangerous-looking partnership between Shemaine Campbelle and the experienced Stafanie Taylor.

Taylor and Campbelle had put on 73 runs for the second wicket after Pooja Vastrakar got the crucial wicket of Matthews in the second over. Campbelle scored 30 runs off 36 balls with three fours before Deepti accounted for her wicket.

Deepti delivered the body blow after she trapped Taylor plumb in front. The on-field umpire didn’t give Taylor out initially, but India and Deepti opted for the review. Replays showed that Taylor had walked across a lot and that went against the Caribbean batter.

Taylor had to go back after scoring 42 runs off 40 balls with six fours. Deepti bowled the final over of the innings where she got the wicket of Afy Fletcher. Deepti finished with figures of 4-0-15-3 and West Indies scored 118 for six in 20 overs.