Record-breaker Deepti Sharma focuses on impact, not numbers

India’s dominant 5-0 sweep over Sri Lanka in the T20I series was crowned by a landmark moment for Deepti Sharma, as the off-spin all-rounder became the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20I history, underlining her growing stature as one of the most influential players in the format.

During the fifth and final T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium, Deepti surpassed Australia’s Megan Schutt by claiming her 152nd wicket, trapping Nilakshika Silva lbw to etch her name into the record books. She finished with figures of 1/28 as India successfully defended 175 to seal a 15-run victory and complete a clean sweep.

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Reflecting on the achievement, Deepti admitted the milestone was special but stressed that her mindset remains team-first. “Listening to the leading wicket taker in T20Is, I get an amazing feeling. I feel very good, but whenever I play a match and whenever I have the ball in my hand, I think about how much impact I can make with the ball and how much opportunities I can create for picking wickets against whatever opponent is playing.

“I always take it as a challenge and whenever I get the ball, I always think about how much breakthroughs I can give for the team,” said Deepti in a video posted by the BCCI on their social media accounts on Wednesday.

The milestone adds another highlight to a remarkable year for Deepti, who was also named Player of the Tournament in India’s triumphant 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup campaign earlier this year.

India’s all-round strength was further evident in the series finale through Arundhati Reddy, who contributed with both bat and ball, remaining unbeaten on 27 and returning figures of 1/16. Emphasising her impact-driven approach, Arundhati said, “Whatever I do, I want to create an impact, whether I bowl, bat or field. I’m always wanting the ball when I bowl. But I always wanted to bat – this was the first game that I got to bat.

“I was really happy and really excited for that opportunity because I’ve been working really hard on my batting. Of course with fielding, I’ve always been that player who’s given her 100 per cent on the field. So that’s what I want to be, and that’s what I want to continue doing that.

“I think for me, my hard work is something, and my passion and the fact that I never give up. You can push me to the wall and I’ll still keep coming back and that’s the kind of player that I’ve always been and I’ll continue to be that till the time I play,” she said.

Meanwhile, young left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma shed light on her unique wicket celebration with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, revealing it was a pre-planned moment born out of team bonding.

“Before entering the field, we were all standing outside in the huddle. So I thought, let’s do something good when we take the wicket, let’s do something like a new celebration.

“So I said, Harry di, when I take the wicket, should I come to you like this? So she said, yes, let’s do it. I had planned for the third match, but I didn’t get the wicket and that was left there. But I got the wicket in the fourth match and that’s when the celebration was completed,” she said.