Team India women’s star Deepti Sharma credited the blessings of Hanuman ji after delivering her best bowling performance in T20I cricket against Pakistan. The all-rounder took a brilliant five-wicket haul to help India seal a memorable win against the arch-rivals in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Deepti gave a match-winning performance in the Group A match of the ongoing Marquee Tournament at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Sunday. The Women in Blue comprehensively defeated Pakistan and registered a resounding 64-run win to make a strong start to their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign.
Hanuman ji is great – Deepti Sharma after career-best T20I bowling
Deepti Sharma credited the best bowling of her T20 career against Pakistan to the blessings of her teammates and Hanuman ji. The India all-rounder said the changing conditions at Edgbaston helped him vary his pace and execute his plans effectively.
Sharma said, “All credit goes to the team and I am very grateful. Hanuman ji is great.” “I like these kind of wickets. I think because it’s turning, I vary my pace with every ball and every over. That helps me a lot. I have confidence in myself and I bowl a little slower in the air, and I focus on the right areas. That’s what I was doing.”
Pakistan went from 75/3 to 106 all out due to the experienced off-spinner’s lower order collapse. Brilliant bowling from Deepti ensured that India could easily defend their score of 170 runs.
That partnership gave us momentum – Deepti Sharma
Deepti Sharma credited the partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur for India’s spectacular win over Pakistan. The all-rounder said the stand gave India vital momentum and helped lay the foundation for the team’s success.
“I love ICC tournaments. I think that’s where I started, so I enjoy them. Yes, there is an amazing crowd here, and a lot of people are supporting the Indian team today. That’s what we want in every game – keep coming and supporting us. I especially want to mention the partnership of Smriti and Harmanpreet Di. From there, we gained momentum.”
Deepti became the third Indian player to take a five-wicket haul in the Women’s T20 World Cup. She joins Priyanka Roy, who achieved the feat against Pakistan in 2009, and Renuka Singh Thakur, who took a five-for against England in 2023.
Deepti Sharma becomes leading wicket-taker in women’s T20I history
Deepti Sharma achieved a feat in women’s T20I cricket. The Indian all-rounder became the leading wicket-taker in the history of the format. Deepti has consistently performed on the biggest stages in recent years.
The 28-year-old now has 166 wickets in 145 Women’s T20Is at an average of 19.42 and an economy rate of 6.29. He broke the previous record of Thailand’s Thipacha Puthavong, who had taken 165 wickets in 105 matches.
The spell of 5/10 is the best performance of Deepti’s career in T20I cricket. This was also his second five-wicket haul in the format, after taking figures of 5/19 against South Africa in Johannesburg in April 2026. She also claimed a five-for in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final against South Africa in Navi Mumbai.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan took another cheeky dig at Pakistan after sharing a viral social media post which read, “Best Sunday ever.”