India’s off-spin bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma expressed her exhilaration upon being recognized as the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, stating it gives her “an amazing feeling.” She emphasized that her main focus is on creating breakthroughs whenever she has the ball in hand.
In the fifth T20I against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium, Deepti surpassed Australia’s Megan Schutt to become the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, achieving her 152nd wicket by dismissing Nilakshika Silva lbw. She concluded the match with figures of 1-28 as India defended 175 to secure a 15-run victory and complete a 5-0 series sweep. Earlier this year, Deepti received the Player of the Tournament award in India’s triumphant campaign in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.
“Listening to that I’m the leading wicket-taker in T20Is, I get an amazing feeling. I feel very good, but whenever I play a match and have the ball in my hand, I think about how much impact I can make with the ball and how many opportunities I can create for picking wickets against whichever opponent is playing,” shared Deepti in a video posted by the BCCI on their social media accounts.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Arundhati Reddy also made notable contributions, scoring an unbeaten 27 while achieving bowling figures of 1-16. “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 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% on the field. That’s what I want to be and continue doing. My hard work is significant, along with my passion and the fact that I never give up. You can push me to the wall, and I’ll still keep coming back. That’s the kind of player that I’ve always been and will continue to be until I play,” she added.
Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma also shared her unique wicket-taking celebration with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. “Before entering the field, we were all standing outside in a huddle. I thought, let’s do something special when we take a wicket, perhaps a new celebration.
“So I asked Harry di, when I take the wicket, should I come to you like this? She agreed, so we planned it. I had intended to do it in the third match, but I didn’t get the wicket then. However, I got the wicket in the fourth match, and that’s when the celebration was completed,” she explained.