India all-rounder Deepti Sharma made history during the third T20I against Sri Lanka, breaking multiple records. She surpassed Australian legend Ellyse Perry to become the third-highest wicket-taker in women’s international cricket. Deepti’s brilliant bowling figures of 3/18 at Thiruvananthapuram helped her reach 333 international wickets, overtaking Perry, who had 331.
In T20Is, Deepti became the first Indian – male or female – to take 150 wickets and also equalled Australia’s Megan Schutt as the leading wicket-taker in this format, with 151 wickets in 131 matches at an average of 18.73, including best figures of 4/10.
Among top three wicket-takers in women’s international cricket
In women’s ODIs, she is India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Jhulan Goswami, with 162 wickets in 121 matches at an average of 27.32. She has also achieved impressive feats in Tests, taking 20 wickets in five matches with a four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul. Only England’s Katherine Sciver Brunt (335 wickets) and Jhulan Goswami (355 wickets) are ahead of her in women’s international cricket.
Deepti also made history by becoming the first cricketer, across men’s and women’s cricket, to score 1,000 runs and take 150 wickets in T20Is. She has scored 1,100 runs in 131 T20Is at an average of 23.40 and a strike rate of 104.26, including two half-centuries.
Renuka Singh shines with four-wicket haul
In the match, India won the toss and chose to bowl. Sri Lanka managed 112/7 in 20 overs, with Imesha Dulani (27), Hasini Perera (25), and Kavisha Dilhari (20) the only batters to reach 20 runs. Renuka Singh was the standout bowler for India, taking 4/21.
During the run chase, Shafali Verma smashed 79* off 42 balls, hitting 11 fours and three sixes, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 21 off 18 balls. India comfortably won by eight wickets in just 13.2 overs. Shafali notched her second consecutive fifty and, this year, has scored 333 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 55.50 and a strike rate above 173, including three fifties.