India’s star all-rounder Deepti Sharma made history in global cricket by becoming the first player in the world, across men’s and women’s T20I cricket, to score 1000 runs and take 150 wickets, and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was all praise as she called the accomplishment ‘total magic.’
Deepti achieved the feat during the third T20I against Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, highlighting her stature as one of the most versatile white-ball cricketers in the sport.
Sharing a graphic of the all-rounder on her Instagram story, Harmanpreet wrote, “This is total magic. Well done Deepti.”
With a decisive three-wicket spell, Deepti became the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20I history, tying with Australia’s Megan Schutt at 151 wickets. Sri Lanka’s Kavisha Dilhari reached her landmark 150th scalp as the 28-year-old dismissed the Lankan batter in the 14th over.
India sealed an unassailable 3–0 series lead with a dominant eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium. Shafali Verma starred with an unbeaten 79 off 42 balls, smashing 11 fours and three sixes to chase down Lanka’s modest total with 6.4 overs to spare. Earlier, India’s bowlers set up the victory as Renuka Singh Thakur (4/21) and Deepti (3/18) restricted the visitors to 112/7.
India lost Smriti Mandhana early for one and later Jemimah Rodrigues, both dismissed by Dilhari, but Shafali remained unfazed. After a cautious start, she launched a fierce assault on the Sri Lankan attack, reaching her fifty in just 24 balls. Captain Harmanpreet added a steady 21 not out as India completed another convincing victory and their fourth straight T20I series win over Sri Lanka.
Deepti’s recent form has been the talk of the town. She received the Player of the Tournament award at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup and finished as the event’s leading wicket-taker, helping India secure their first-ever world title on home ground.
She also made a significant impact in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction, where UP Warriorz (UPW) acquired her for Rs 3.2 crore, the second-highest bid in league history.
(IANS)
