Snehasis Mukherjee in Navi Mumbai
Team India have done it! They knocked the defending champions, Australia, out of the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, chasing down a 339-run target with five wickets and nine balls to spare.
Jemimah Rodrigues was the star, smashing an incredible unbeaten 127, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur made a vital 89. But while Jemimah deservedly took the spotlight, fans should not overlook the impactful cameos from Deepti Sharma (24 off 17), Richa Ghosh (26 off 16), and Amanjot Kaur (15 not out off eight balls). Without those contributions, the chase could have been far more difficult to finish.
Here, however, the focus is on the veteran all-rounder Deepti. With the ball, she has been at her consistent best, currently the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 17 wickets in eight innings. But with the bat, she has quietly played some of the most crucial innings for India in pressure moments. So far, she has scored 157 runs in six innings, including two fifties, but what matters most is when and how she scored them.
In the opening game of the tournament, India were in trouble at 124/6 before Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur rescued the innings. Deepti scored a composed 53, helping India reach 269/8, and then followed it up with three wickets, earning her the Player of the Match award.
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Against England, while chasing 289, India looked on track thanks to Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet’s 125-run partnership for the third wicket. When Harmanpreet got out, Deepti carried the momentum forward, adding 67 runs off 66 balls with Smriti. Once Mandhana departed, Deepti became the set batter responsible for finishing the chase. She reached her fifty but fell soon after, as her runs went in vain. Despite a late push from the lower-order, India fell short by just four runs.
In the semi-final against Australia, Deepti’s 24 off 22 balls proved crucial once again. When Harmanpreet departed for 89, India were 226/3, and the situation could have turned tense. As Jemimah revealed after the match, her focus was to stay till the end, meaning Deepti had the licence to play freely and score quickly to ensure the chase stayed on track.
Throughout this World Cup, whenever India found themselves under pressure, Deepti has stepped up with the bat. Not just in this tournament, circa 2025, has seen the best of Deepti the batter. In 16 innings this year, she has scored 538 runs at an average of 48.90 and a career-best strike rate of 97.99, including five fifties.
Her previous best year as a batter was in 2017, when she scored 787 runs in 19 innings, averaging 49.18, striking at 70.51 with seven fifties and a century. That year ended in heartbreak as India lost the World Cup final at Lord’s against England. In the last two overs, India needed 11 runs with two wickets in hand, but Deepti became Anya Shrubsole’s fifth wicket early in the 49th over, and India fell short by nine runs.
Since then, Deepti has faced criticism for not delivering with the bat in high-pressure moments. Between 2018 and 2024, she managed just five fifties, with her last one coming in 2022. That is what makes her revival this year even more special. She has rediscovered her batting rhythm and composure when India needed it the most.
For Deepti, real redemption awaits on Sunday, November 2, in the final against South Africa. More than her bowling, if a moment arises where India need her with the bat, and she delivers again, it could finally free her from the ghosts of 2017 and earn her the recognition she truly deserves — as one of India’s greatest all-rounders.
Also Read: Jemimah, Harmanpreet script history as India knock out Australia in thrilling semi-final