Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 27 (UNI) India’s star all-rounder Deepti Sharma produced a historic all-round display during the third T20 International against Sri Lanka, scripting multiple records as she became the third-highest wicket-taker in women’s international cricket and the first Indian cricketer across men’s and women’s T20Is to complete the rare double of 1,000 runs and 150 wickets.
Deepti’s impressive spell of 3/18 at the Greenfield International Stadium saw her overtake Australian great Ellyse Perry, who had 331 wickets from 271 international matches. Deepti now has 333 wickets to her name, placing her behind only England’s Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Indian legend Jhulan Goswami on the all-time list.
The 26-year-old also reached a major milestone in the shortest format, becoming the first Indian cricketer, male or female, to take 150 wickets in T20 Internationals.
By dismissing Sri Lanka’s Kavisha Dilhari during her spell, Deepti achieved the landmark and later went on to claim her 151st T20I wicket, drawing level with Australia’s Megan Schutt as the joint-leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is.
In women’s ODIs, she is India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Jhulan Goswami, with 162 wickets from 121 matches, while she has also picked up 20 wickets in five Test matches at an impressive average of 18.10.
She has now scored over 1,100 runs in the format to go along with her 151 wickets, making her the first-ever player in the history of T20Is, across both men’s and women’s cricket, to achieve the 1,000-run and 150-wicket double.
In the match itself, India won the toss and elected to field, restricting Sri Lanka to 112 for seven in their 20 overs. Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, and Kavisha Dilhari were the only batters to cross the 20-run mark for the visitors.
Fast bowler Renuka Singh Thakur was the standout performer with the ball, returning figures of 4/21, while Deepti provided crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs.
India chased down the target with ease, powered by an explosive unbeaten 79 off 42 balls from Shafali Verma, who struck 11 fours and three sixes. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in with a fluent 21 as India sealed an eight-wicket victory in just 13.2 overs to clinch the match convincingly.
