— Subhayan Chakraborty
Forget about the run-out at the non-striker’s end that left many in the cricketing circuit exasperated a few months back, India’s Deepti Sharma has not only climbed to the second spot in the ICC T20I Rankings for bowlers, but the experienced all-rounder has also emerged as the top wicket-taker for the Women in Blue ahead of the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to start on February 10 in South Africa.
Just 14 matches away from reaching 100 games in the shortest format for India, Deepti has arguably entered the best form of her career, and is also the leading wicket-taker for India in the ongoing tri- series against West Indies and South Africa. Although Deepti has always been among wickets and is an economical bowler, the 25-year-old has taken eight wickets in four matches (12 overs bowled) at an impressive average of 8.75 in the tri-series, with the final to be played between India and South Africa on Thursday, February 2 at Buffalo Park.
Her economy rate of 5.83 has also impressed many. More impressive than her economy rate or wicket-taking ability is how she keeps the batters guessing most of the time. On Monday against the West Indies, Deepti conceded just three-run scoring strokes in her four-over quota while also taking three wickets – showcasing her growing importance in the team. After all, it is not easy to keep a player like Sneh Rana out of the XI.
Deepti, who is a part of the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year 2022, has taken 37 wickets in 28 innings at an average of 16.43 and an economy rate of 6.04, making her the most reliable spinner in the Indian team since 2022.
India’s batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar, ahead of the tri-series final against South Africa, shed light on how Deepti has been setting the bar during training, implying that her success on the cricket field is not just due to experience or good form.
“As long as the players maintain high training levels, it will translate to good performance in matches. She (Deepti) practices very similarly to how she plays in matches, and that really helps her,” Kanitkar answered a Revsportz query during a press conference on the eve of the final match against South Africa.
“She’s an important player in any format we play. The good thing is that she has a method to get runs or wickets, which makes her consistent. She’s doing well. She just needs to keep it simple, make sure the basics are right.
“All players watch videos of their opponents nowadays. But what’s important is how a player takes the inputs from coaches and their own analysis and implements it during the game and learns from each match. Being professional about these things is important. During practice, it is important to simulate match situations as closely as possible. This may seem like common sense, but it’s not always common. It is important to maintain high levels of pressure during practice so that you are comfortable when things unfold in the middle. And that’s what Deepti does, she keeps her practice drills as close to match situations, which is why she’s comfortable in the middle,” Kanitkar further explained, lavishing high praise on Deepti.
While Deepti’s flight, drift, and turn have bewildered opposition batters, all eyes will be on her when captain Harmanpreet Kaur hands her the ball once again in the final against South Africa. However, the bigger aim for Deepti will be to continue her tremendous run of form when the Women in Blue take the field for the T20 World Cup with an aim to replicate what their Under-19 colleagues did in the Rainbow Nation a few days back. And expect run-outs if an opposition tries to steal some yards for a run!