Deepti Sharma is an Indian cricketer who plays as an allrounder for the Indian Women’s cricket team. A left-hand batter and right-arm off-break bowler, Deepti holds several records in cricket. She represents Bengal Women’s cricket team at the domestic level. On 13 February 2023, Deepti Sharma was bought by UP Warriorz for Rs. 2.60 crores at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auctions in Mumbai.
Wiki/Biography
Deepti Bhagwan Sharma was born on Sunday, 24 August 1997 (age 26 years; as of 2023) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Her zodiac sign is Virgo. Deepti had her class 12 exams in 2020. However, she skipped the examination to take part in the Women’s T20 World Cup. At the age of 9, the roots of her relentless passion for cricket prospered. She was so interested in the game that she would constantly pester her father to ask her brother Sumit to take her to the cricket ground, where he practised the game. At the ground, Deepti enjoyed watching her brother and his teammates play cricket. She would often run to pick up a stray ball and throw it back to the cricket players. This had become a constant practice. During one such practice session at the Ekalavya sports stadium, Deepti tossed the ball back into the ground (from a 50-metre distance), it smashed the stumps. The bullseye was noticed by the former Indian cricketer and the then chairperson of the BCCI’s women’s selection panel Hemlata Kala, who instantly enquired about Deepti. Kala contemplated that Deepti would go on to represent India someday. Following the event, her brother Sumit (Deepti’s first coach) started training her in cricket. Sharma attended various auditions for the next few years. However, she was overlooked by the state selectors due to her age (as she was below 15 at that time). Kala ensured Deepti received good training and ample experience and took her to nets at the Railway Camps in Delhi and Allahabad. Soon, she caught the attention of Rita Dey, a former Indian cricketer and selector, who decided to mentor her. Gradually, she started getting offers to play cricket at the domestic level. Impressed with her consistent performance at the domestic level, the selectors later called her for a camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Deepti Sharma with fellow cricketers at NCA
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Deepti Sharma belongs to a middle-class family from Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
Parents & Siblings
Deepti Sharma’s father, Bhagwan Sharma, is a retired chief booking supervisor with the Indian Railways. Her mother, Sushilla Sharma, is a retired college principal. She has five brothers and one sister. Deepti is the youngest of all her siblings. Her brother Lovelesh Sharma is an architect. Her other brother Sumit Sharma was a cricketer and represented Uttar Pradesh in the C K Naidu Trophy. However, he later gave up cricket as it was difficult for his parents to bear his cricketing expenses. Sumit did a private job for some time and later quit the job to start a cricket coaching camp in Uttar Pradesh. One of her brothers’ names is Prashant Sharma. Her sister’s name is Pragati Sharma.
Deepti Sharma with her father, Bhagwan Sharma
Deepti Sharma with her mother, Sushilla Sharma
Deepti Sharma with her father, Bhagwan Sharma, and brother Lovelesh Sharma
Deepti Sharma with her brother Prashant Sharma
Deepti Sharma’s brother Sumit Sharma
Deepti Sharma with her sister, Pragati Sharma
Deepti Sharma with her family
Religion
Deepti Sharma follows Hinduism.
Cricket
Domestic
Deepti Sharma has represented Uttar Pradesh Women, India Green Women, and Bengal Women at the domestic level. During the 2017-18 senior women’s domestic season, she played for Bengal Women’s team. She was the highest scorer of the season, scoring 312 runs in 6 matches at an average of 104 and strike rate of 65.13. In the tournament, her highest score was 77, and she hit five fifties during the tournament. Deepti took 9 wickets in the tournament with her best figures being 3 for 26 against Vidarbha in Kolkata. During the 2018-2019 senior women’s domestic season, Deepti scored 313 runs (including 2 centuries and one half-century) in 6 matches. She also took 13 wickets during the tournament, her best figures being 4 for 12 against Kerala in Bengaluru.
Deepti Sharma with her Bengal Women teammates
International
One Day International (ODI)
Deepti Sharma made her One Day International debut on 28 November 2014 against South Africa Women at Bengaluru during the ICC Women’s Championship. In 2016, she recorded her best ODI bowling figures when she took six wickets against Sri Lanka in Ranchi. In February 2017, Deepti played a high-strung inning against South Africa, scoring 71 runs off 89 balls during the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier final match. India won the match on the final ball with just one wicket in their hand. She was made the Player of the Match for her excellent performance during the match. She was part of the Indian team that reached the final of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. England won the match by 9 runs. During the tournament, Deepti scored 216 runs in 8 matches at an average of 30.86. She also made 12 dismissals in 9 matches with the best bowling figures of 3 for 59 from 7.1 overs against Australia.
Deepti Sharma celebrating a wicket during a match
In the same year, she was included in the India Women’s squad that played the quadrangular series in South Africa that also featured Ireland Women, South Africa Women, and Zimbabwe Women. In the series, while playing an ODI against Ireland in Potchefstroom, Sharma made a world record-opening partnership of 320 runs with Poonam Raut. Deepti contributed 188 runs in the partnership and helped the Indian team to score 358 runs for 3 wickets in 50 overs. Her performance in the series earned her the tag of Player of the Tournament.
Deepti Sharma posing with her Player of the Tournament trophy
In 2018, during the final match of India’s home series against Sri Lanka, Deepti picked up 6 wickets for 20 runs which helped India win the series. In January 2022, Deepti became a part of the Indian women’s squad that participated in the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. She has also played for India A Women.
Deepti Sharma running between the wickets
T20
Deepti Sharma made her T20 international debut on 31 January 2016 against the Australia Women’s cricket team in Sydney. She then went on to play several T20 international matches. In 2018, Deepti was named in India’s Women’s squad for the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies. The Indian team made it to the semi-finals of the tournament, where the team lost to England by 8 wickets. Deepti picked up 5 wickets in the tournament with her best being 2 for 15 in 3 overs against Ireland. In 2023, Deepti was a part of the Indian Women’s squad that took part in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, held in South Africa.
Deepti Sharma during India Women Vs. South Africa Women T20 match
Test
In May 2021, Deepti Sharma was named in India Women’s Test squad for their one-off match against the England Women’s cricket team. She made her international test debut on 16 June 2021 against England at Bristol.
Deepti Sharma with her teammates after a Test match
Women’s T20 Challenge
Deepti Sharma represented IPL Trailblazers in the Women’s T20 Challenge during the 2018 and 2022 seasons. IPL Trailblazers won the 2020 season of the tournament by defeating IPL Supernovas by 16 runs in the finals at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah. During their second match against IPL Supernovas in the 2020 season, Deepti scored 43* runs. However, their team lost by two runs.
Deepti Sharma during a Women’s T20 Challenge match
She has also represented IPL Velocity during one of the seasons of the Women’s T20 Challenge.
Kia Super League
Deepti Sharma represented Western Storm during the Kia Super League 2019. The team won the tournament.
Deepti Sharma with her teammates celebrating their victory at the Kia Super League 2019
Women’s Premier League (WPL)
During the auctions of the inaugural Women’s Premier League in 2023, Deepti Sharma was bought by UP Warriorz for Rs. 2.6 crores. Starting at a base price of Rs. 50 lakhs, Sharma was involved in a tight scuffle between Gujarat Giants, Delhi Capitals, and Mumbai Indians. Later, UP Warriorz made a surprise bid of Rs. 2.2 crores and eventually bagged her for Rs. 2.6 crores.
100-Ball Cricket
In 2021, Deepti played for London Spirit during the inaugural season of The Hundred. She was picked up by London Spirit as a wildcard player.
Deepti Sharma as a member of the London Spirit for 100-Ball Cricket
Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL)
Deepti Sharma played for Sydney Thunder during the 2021 season of the Women’s Big Bash League.
Commonwealth Games
In 2022, Deepti was a part of the Indian Women’s Cricket team that participated in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. The Indian Women’s team confirmed its berth in the semi-finals by defeating Barbados Women by 100 runs in their final group league match.
Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh after India secured a berth in the semi-finals of 2022 Commonwealth Games
Records
- In 2016, Deepti Sharma became the youngest Indian cricketer (male and female) to take a 6- wicket haul after she made 6 dismissals by giving out just 20 runs in a match against Sri Lanka.
- In an ODI match against Ireland in May 2017, Deepti constructed 320 runs opening partnership with Punam Raut during the quadrangular series in South Africa. Deepti struck 188 runs off 160 balls while Poonam Raut’s score was 109. Their partnership broke both the standing women’s record of 229 runs (made by Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins of England) and the standing men’s record of 286 runs (made by Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka) in One Day International. In the same match, she registered another record by hitting 27 fours (the maximum number of fours in an inning in Women’s cricket) while she was on the field. Deepti also became the third cricketer to score the maximum in an inning (by batting position) in Women’s One Day Internationals.
- She also holds the record of the Second highest individual Women’s ODI score by Indian women, hitting 188 runs off 160 balls (including 27 fours and 2 sixes).
- In 2019, Deepti became the first Indian women cricketer to bowl 3 maidens in T20 internationals.
- In February 2023, Deepti became the leading wicket-taker for India, with 100 T20I wickets to her name. She accomplished the feat during India’s T20 World Cup 2023 match against West Indies at the Newlands in Cape Town when she dismissed Aly Fletcher.
Awards
- Felicitated by the BCCI Awards (2018)
Deepti Sharma felicitated at the BCCI Awards
- Received Best Women’s Cricketer Award by CAB Cricket (2018)
Deepti Sharma receiving Best Women’s Cricketer Award by CAB Cricket
- Honoured with BCCI Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer (Sr Domestic for 2018-19)
Deepti Sharma receiving the BCCI Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer
- Felicitated by the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Government of West Bengal (2019)
Deepti Sharma receiving an award by the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Government of West Bengal
- Conferred with the Arjuna Award 2020 by the then President of India Ram Nath Kovind (2020)
Deepti Sharma conferred with the Arjuna Award 2020 through a virtual ceremony
- Received Special Award by CAB Cricket (2022)
Deepti Sharma receiving Special Award by CAB Cricket
Controversy
Controversial Dismissal of Charlotte Dean
In September 2022, during the last match of the 3-match ODI series between India and England at the Lord’s, Deepti’s run out of the England batter Charlotte Dean (Charlie Dean) became a subject of discussion in the cricket fraternity. Although, the law permits such dismissals, for some people it was against the spirit of the game; the MCC had moved the run-out at the non-striker’s end from Law 41 ‘Unfair Play’ to Law 38 ‘Run Out.’ While some stood by Deepti in the matter, others criticised the run-out and termed it ‘Mankad.’ Apparently, Charlie Dean and Freya Davies were on the field, playing for England. Dean, who was at the non-stricker’s end, was backing up for runs. Sharma was in her delivery stride when she noticed Dean had already left the crease. She stopped in the middle of her bowling and whipped off the bails at the non-striker’s end, leading to Charlie’s dismissal. Post India’s historic series win over England, Deepti Sharma, in a media conversation, shared her views on the run-out and said that she had warned Charlie Dean on backing up several times before claiming her wicket in the match. She said, Woh plan tha hum logon ka, kyunki woh baar baar… Hum warn bhi kar chuke the usko. Jo rules mein hain, jo guidelines hain, uske according hi humne kiya (We had planned this as she was not paying heed to our repeated warnings. We acted according to the rules and the guidelines.” However, England women cricketer Heather Knight, who missed the series, claimed that Deepti was lying. Later, many media houses revealed that the television replays showed that when Deepti had hit the bails, Dean was at least six feet out of the line, anxiously on her way to take a run. She was not even watching the bowler. The replays also showed that Dean had moved early around 72 times during the match before Deepti resorted to the particular mode of dismissal.
Deepti Sharma’s controversial run out of Charlotte Dean
Facts/Trivia
- Deepti Sharma loves listening to music in her leisure time.
- Her jersey number for India Women is #6.
Deepti Sharma during a cricket match
- Deepti, a right-handed batsman naturally, later settled into a left-hand grip without receiving any training.
- Deepti’s work is managed by FairPlay Sports, a sports consultancy and agency.
- Deepti is very particular about her fitness and works out regularly.
Deepti Sharma during her workout session
- An animal lover, Deepti often posts pictures with animals on her social media accounts.
Deepti Sharma with a Kangaroo
- Deepti is an ardent follower of Lord Hanuman.
- A Luddite, Deepti used a smartphone for the first time at the age of 18 when she was asked by the cricket authorities to be present in a common WhatsApp group of the Indian women’s squad.
- Deepti, a tomboy in childhood, was often confused to be a boy. Apparently, when she was first spotted by Hemlata Kala, she too mistook her as a boy.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education