Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma was crowned Player of the Tournament in India’s maiden ICC Women’s World Cup triumph, says she still cannot believe she bowled the title-winning delivery. The 28-year-old, who sealed India’s championship with the wicket of South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk, called herself the “luckiest” to be handed the final ball of the World Cup.
“It is still sinking in and the team wants to cherish these moments forever,” Deepti told ESPNcricinfo, reflecting on the win. “I am the luckiest one that I got to bowl that last delivery. Lifting that trophy was an amazing memory for me. (Nadine) de Klerk had been batting well throughout the World Cup, so her wicket was crucial. When only one wicket was left, we wanted to finish it off quickly.”
Deepti’s all-round performance across the tournament was historic with 215 runs in seven innings, including three fifties, and a record 22 wickets in nine innings, more than any bowler. She saved her best for the final: a run-a-ball half-century and a five-wicket haul.
But beyond the numbers, certain moments are etched in her memory — most of all, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s celebration after completing the title-sealing catch off her bowling, and Amanjot Kaur’s world-class grab to remove South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt.
“Absolutely, those (visuals of celebrations) will remain with me forever. The way she (Amanjot) took the catch and started celebrating around the ground, it was like her Kapil Dev moment (Kapil's catch in the 1983 World Cup final to dismiss Viv Richards). She kept the ball with her. Taking the last wicket is something I will remember forever.”
‘We treated the semi-final like the final’
Deepti also opened up about India’s mindset throughout the campaign especially the way the team built belief and embraced clarity of roles.
“The best thing about this team is the belief we have. Right from the first match [of the World Cup] we would discuss things in team meetings, what the takeaways were, how to change our plans. We would always consider the options we had. And we were quite chill before the final. We were not thinking too much, and we treated it like a normal match. We just wanted to focus as much as we could for those seven to eight hours.”
She revealed that the true turning point was the semifinal against Australia -- the seven-time champions.
“When we were playing the semi-final, we treated it like a final. If we win the semi, only then will we be champions. So our main focus was only on that, because when you are up against seven-time champions, your mindset should be on a different level, your thinking has to be different. We knew what we had to do in the semi-final. We were very positive. We knew that if we play our best cricket, we could make it happen. We knew if there was one team Australia was wary of, it is India, and that it would not be a one-sided game. It is a good thing that the Indian team is planting doubts in the other team. You can understand how much Indian women's cricket has grown.”
She also praised the clarity within the young group -- citing how 21-year-old spinner Shree Charani would constantly approach her with tactical questions.
“For example, Shree Charani used to come to me and ask me questions on how I plan, what I would do in certain situations. So everyone was working towards the common goal of making this team win.”
‘Wanted to score in every area, as much as possible in least amount of deliveries’
Beyond her bowling heroics, Deepti’s uptick in strike rate — now 98.16, up from 62.26 in 2023 — was a major cornerstone of India’s success. She credits hours of specialised work back home in Agra with her elder brother.
“When I used to come home to Agra, I used to practice specific shots with bhaiyya (elder brother) to develop them and make them my strength. It was not just about T20s. People often think that we play lofted shots only in T20s. But I feel that T20 and the 50-overs game have become equal in that sense. You need the same strike rate in one-dayers too. This was my mindset: whenever I bat, whatever I have developed in practice or improved in my nets, I should go with the same mindset and apply what I have learned in my game. Whether I got a few balls or a lot of balls, I had belief in my natural game. I did not want to play shots only on one side; I wanted to play according to the ball, whether it was in front or on the covers. I wanted to score in every area and as much as possible with the fewest balls. This was my mindset in this World Cup.”
She recalled how one of her favourite innovations — the one-handed swing for boundaries — was the result of months of repetition.
“It does not come to you overnight. I had to practise a lot for lofted shots with my brother. The other was to hit the ball straight behind the bowler. These things I worked on mainly for the World Cup, and I saw the results.”
Her growth as a batter sharpened significantly during the WPL 2024, where she won Most Valuable Player for UP Warriorz: 295 runs in eight innings (three fifties, SR 136+) and 10 wickets.
“I did not bat in any one position in that tournament. Initially, I used to bat at No. 6 or 7, and then suddenly I had to bat at No. 3 and 4. When I spoke to the [UP Warriorz] management at the time, I said I am always ready to bat early or higher up in the order, I am happy to do that for the team. That was my mindset, that it does not matter which number I am going to bat at. I just have to play my game for the team. If you are looking at a good ball and hitting good shots, you will only see four or six on the scoreboard. That is how you can build for the team and get maximum runs for the team in 20 overs. This was my mindset when I was playing in the WPL.”
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