Deepti Sharma scripts history: India all-rounder becomes No. 1 wicket-taker in Women's T20I cricket

Dubai: Veteran Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma became the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 Internationals on Sunday, reaching 171 wickets during her side's 94-run thrashing of Thailand in the Women’s Asia Cup.

Deepti accomplished the milestone in her 150th T20I for India, joining Harmanpreet Kaur (203) and Smriti Mandhana (172) as only the third Indian player to surpass 150 appearances. She is just the 12th female cricketer globally to feature in 150 or more T20Is.

The right-arm off-spinner produced a remarkably economical spell of 1.1-1-0-3 against Thailand in their Group A fixture to claim the record of 171 wickets.

Deepti described the achievement as a proud moment, while emphasising that her primary focus remains on refining her bowling and supporting the squad.

"More than 150 wickets, it's a proud feeling to wear the Indian jersey with the Indian logo. It's about doing the right things as an Indian player," she told the official broadcaster.

"I don't think about who I'm going to play against. I focus on how I can keep getting better and help my bowling unit."

She also highlighted the preparatory camp at the Centre of Excellence for boosting the team's confidence ahead of their Asia Cup campaign.

"The camp at the Centre of Excellence gave us a lot of confidence, and we're looking forward to winning the Asia Cup."

By conceding zero runs against Thailand, Deepti set an Indian record for the fewest runs surrendered whilst taking three wickets in a match.

With 171 scalps, Deepti leads the standings for the most successful bowlers in the shortest format, followed by Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong (170) in second, Rwanda's Henriette Ishimwe (164) in third, England’s Sophie Ecclestone (154) in fourth, and Hong Kong’s Kary Chang (153) in fifth.

PTI