Who Is Deepti Sharma? Steadfast Cricketer Who Drove India To World Cup Victory

India scripted a golden chapter in cricketing history on November 2, 2025, as the women’s team lifted their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The nation couldn’t stop celebrating, and somewhere in the middle of all that noise stood Deepti Sharma, the star all-rounder whose match-winning brilliance guided India to glory on the world stage.

Who Is Deepti Sharma?

Deepti Sharma was born on 24 August 1997 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Coming from a middle-class family, she developed a love for cricket at an early age, accompanying her brother to local matches. At just nine, she began training under professional coaches and soon made her mark in local tournaments.

Her natural ability to bowl accurate off-spin and her composed batting caught the attention of selectors. She went on to represent Uttar Pradesh at the junior level before moving to the Bengal Women’s Cricket Team, where her career took a major leap.

Deepti made her international debut for India Women in 2014, and within just two years, she was breaking records. In a 2016 ODI match against Sri Lanka, she became the youngest Indian cricketer (male or female) to take a six-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 6 for 20.

This remarkable performance established her as one of India’s most promising bowlers. Her breakthrough batting performance came in May 2017, during a One-Day International against Ireland in the Quadrangular Series in South Africa.

Partnering with Punam Raut, Deepti scored a breathtaking 188 runs off 160 balls, including 27 fours and 2 sixes. The duo put up a record-breaking 320-run stand, surpassing both men’s and women’s world records for the highest partnership in ODIs. Her innings also made her the third woman in ODI history to score the most runs in an innings by batting position and the second-highest individual scorer for India in women’s cricket.

Deepti's consistency across formats has made her a pillar of Indian women’s cricket. In 2019, she became the first Indian woman to bowl three maiden overs in a T20I, and by 2023, she crossed the 100-wicket mark, becoming India’s top T20 wicket-taker. Her alert run-out of Charlotte Dean at Lord’s in 2022 showed her sharp game sense.

In the Women’s Premier League (WPL), Deepti shone for UP Warriorz, delivering key all-round performances after being bought for ₹2.6 crore. Carrying that form into the ICC Women's World Cup 2025, she starred in the final against South Africa with 58 runs and 5/39, leading India to their maiden World Cup title and earning the Player of the Match award.

Her brilliance throughout the tournament earned her both the Player of the Match in the final and the prestigious Player of the Tournament award, firmly establishing her as one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

From the narrow lanes of Agra to the grand stages of world cricket, Deepti Sharma’s story is one of pure grit and passion. Her journey reflects the power of hard work and belief, a perfect blend of calm patience and fierce ambition. Today, she stands as a true icon of Indian women’s cricket, inspiring a generation to dream bigger and aim higher.

Whether representing UP Warriorz in the WPL or wearing the Indian blue, Deepti continues to be a source of strength and inspiration for countless young girls who see their dreams in her story.

Views expressed by the author are their own.