India’s star spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma scripted a historic chapter in women’s cricket with a sensational performance against Pakistan in India’s opening match of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup at Edgbaston.
The off-spinner produced career-best figures of 5 for 10 in four overs, playing a pivotal role in India’s commanding 64-run victory over their arch-rivals. Her spell not only earned her the Player of the Match award but also helped her achieve two major career milestones on the same day.
Deepti Sharma entered the contest with 349 international wickets across formats and became only the second cricketer in women’s cricket to reach the 350-wicket mark, joining former India pace legend Jhulan Goswami, who leads the charts with 355 wickets. She also surpassed Thailand left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong’s tally of 165 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in Women’s T20 Internationals, finishing the match with 166 wickets at an average of 19.42 and an economy rate of 6.29.
Her figures of 5 for 10 were also the third-best bowling figures in the Women’s T20 World Cup history.
Pakistan’s openers had put India under pressure early, stitching together a 38-run stand, their highest opening partnership against India in Women’s T20Is. Introduced in the fifth over, Deepti Sharma immediately changed the course of the match.
After troubling Muneeba Ali with flight and variations from her very first delivery, she struck by dismissing Gull Feroza, who attempted a reverse sweep but only managed to offer a catch at backward point. The breakthrough halted Pakistan’s momentum and opened the door for India.
Deepti Sharma returned to continue the squeeze just as Pakistan looked to accelerate. Having conceded only three runs in an over, she removed Ayesha Zafar, who miscued a sweep shot and was caught brilliantly by Smriti Mandhana at short fine leg.
With Pakistan struggling to rebuild, Deepti Sharma maintained relentless pressure through the middle overs before returning to dismantle the lower order. She dismissed the dangerous Aliya Riaz with a slower full delivery that resulted in a catch by Jemimah Rodrigues at deep midwicket. Two balls later, Tasmia Rubab fell in similar fashion, finding the same fielder while attempting another big hit. Deepti then completed her five-wicket haul by dismissing Nashra Sandhu, who swept straight to captain Harmanpreet Kaur at short midwicket.
Reflecting on her performance, Deepti Sharma credited the conditions and her ability to adapt. She explained that the turn available on the Edgbaston surface allowed her to vary her pace consistently, bowl slower through the air and focus on hitting the right areas. She also revealed that despite not enjoying the best returns in recent months, particularly during tours of Australia and South Africa earlier in the year, she never lost faith in her abilities and remained confident that she would deliver when the team needed her the most.
Deepti Sharma also highlighted the importance of the 91-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, which laid the foundation for India’s total.
Harmanpreet Kaur was equally generous in her praise for both Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, describing them as players who consistently rise to the occasion under pressure. The India captain felt the pitch was fair for batting and said that after some early pressure, she and Smriti Mandhana focused on regaining control of the innings.
The skipper also joked about wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh’s aggressive approach when asked whether she could have been promoted up the order, saying she would happily send her in from the very first ball if it were entirely her decision, while adding that Richa Ghosh continues to execute her designated role effectively.
With heavyweight sides Australia and South Africa also present in the same group, Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged the significance of securing such a comprehensive win in the tournament opener, stressing that every league-stage match could prove decisive.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana admitted that her team’s batting performance was disappointing and the bowlers also lost discipline during the closing stages. She pointed out that the additional fielding restriction affected her side and expressed confidence that the young squad would learn from the experience as the tournament progresses.
For India, however, the night belonged to Deepti Sharma. On a stage where expectations were high and recent form had raised questions, she delivered a performance that combined records, milestones and match-winning impact, a reminder of why she remains one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket and a potential game-changer in India’s quest for T20 World Cup glory.
