NEW DELHI : Deepti Sharma created history and set multiple records as she was the star of India’s victory over Pakistan in their opening game of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday (June 14) at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. The star all-rounder took a five-wicket haul as the Women in Blue defeated their arch-rivals by a thumping margin of 64 runs to extend their dominant record in the fixture.
Deepti got the wickets of Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Aliya Riaz, Nashra Sandhu, and Tasmia Rubab. The 28-year-old finished with figures of 5-10 in her four-over spell. She also inflicted the run-out of Pakistan’s top run-getter, Muneeba Ali (41 of 35), with a stunning direct hit.
Deepti Sharma Rewrites History Books
Through the course of her spell, Deepti became the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20I cricket. She now has 166 wickets in the shortest format of the game, which is one more than Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong. Last year, she had broken Australian cricket star Megan Schutt’s record for the most wickets by a player from a Test-playing nation player.
Deepti also crossed the 350-wicket mark in international cricket in all three formats. She is only the second player to achieve the feat after Indian cricket legend Jhulan Goswami. Deepti is the first player with the unique combination of over 350 wickets and 3000 runs. Moreover, she is only one wicket away from becoming the highest wicket-taker in women’s international cricket. Goswami took 355 wickets across all formats in her career.
Deepti produced the best bowling performance by an Indian and Asian in the women’s T20 World Cup. The record was previously held by Renuka Singh (5-15 vs. England in 2023). Priyanka Roy (5-16 vs Pakistan in 2009) is the only other Indian to take a five-for in the mega event.
Overall, Deepti’s bowling figures are the third-best in the competition’s history and the best by a player against Pakistan. The previous record was also held by an Indian and belonged to Priyanka, who set it 17 years ago in the inaugural edition at Taunton. No other player has taken a five-for against the Fatima Sana-led team in the competition’s history.
In fact, these are the second-best bowling figures against the Women in Green in the shortest format behind Bangladesh’s Nahida Akter (5-8 in 2023 at Chattogram).
Best Bowling Figures In Women’s T20 World Cup History.
Moreover, Deepti has become only the second bowler in history and the first from any Asian country, after South Africa’s Sane Luus, to take a five-for in both the Women’s World Cup and the Women’s T20 World Cup. Deepti has achieved the feat in consecutive games in ICC tournaments, as her sole five-wicket haul in the 50-over mega event came in the final of the 2025 edition against the Proteas at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.
Luus achieved the feat against Ireland (5-8) in 2016 during the T20 World Cup at Chennai and while playing versus Australia in the Women’s World Cup in 2017 in Taunton.
Deepti has also become the first Indian to take multiple five-fors in women’s T20I cricket. Among full member players, this feat has only been achieved by Luus, Akhtar, Arlene Kelly, Shabnim Ismail, and Anisa Mohammed (3). No other Indian also has multiple five-fors in women’s ICC events (Women’s ODI WC + Women’s T20 WC combined).
