MUMBAI: Over the years, Deepti Sharma has stood out as India’s dependable performer with both bat and ball. In nine outings, she has taken 22 wickets at an average of 20.40, while also contributing 215 runs at 30.71, including three half-centuries. The 28-year-old off-spin all-rounder played a major part in India’s Women’s 2025 ODI World Cup success in the October–November period last year.
Yet this year, Deepti’s T20 output has not matched the high levels she has shown in the past. In the Women’s Premier League, she managed seven wickets across eight games, striking at an average of 31.42. Her economy rate read 8.80, and with the bat she scored 131 runs at 21.83. Despite her efforts, UP Warriorz failed to qualify for the playoffs.
In the current five-match T20I series in South Africa, Deepti has also been unable to make a breakthrough in the first two contests. She has not taken a wicket so far, conceding 0-24 in 2.1 overs and 0-23 in three overs during the games in Durban. With the bat, she contributed 1* and 1 in India’s losses—first by six wickets and then by eight wickets. India’s 0-2 position means they are already under pressure, and the third match at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday becomes crucial, with the visitors at risk of losing the series if they fail to bounce back.
Bowling coach backs Deepti to rediscover her best
Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, India women’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi expressed confidence that Deepti would regain her peak form. In a virtual pre-match interaction from Johannesburg, Salvi said: “Deepti is a champion player. We all know that. One, two games or three games doesn’t define the kind of talent she has or the kind of performances she has delivered over the years. She has been a champion bowler, batter, and all-rounder throughout her career.”
Salvi also pointed to the work Deepti has been putting in at the nets to regain rhythm and sharpness. “Right now, she may not be at her best, but as we move forward into the next phase, she is working hard. She is working on her fitness and on her bowling. In the nets, she is always taking up those challenges—she’s bowling against batters as well, doing target-focused practice, and discussing different game plans, including what she wants to execute during matches,” he said.
The coach believes the team can respond strongly from this point in the series. “I always felt this would be a great series for us, where we would face a strong opposition. It was a good preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup in England in June. We came into it charged up, prepared, and fully motivated. Two matches don’t reflect the kind of side we are. There are three more games to go, and the girls are feeling comfortable and confident in their own abilities. I’m sure they are going to bounce back stronger,” Salvi added.
Plans in Durban didn’t land, but issues have been identified
Salvi further explained that India entered the first two T20Is with clear strategies against the Proteas, but execution fell short. “In Durban, we were trying—our plans were being worked on. But we couldn’t execute them the way we would have wanted. Going ahead, we have already identified the grey areas and ironed them out. The girls are aware of it and are practicing it,” he said.
He also noted that India had practised those same approaches before the tour, but the first two games did not go as planned. “Before coming into the series, we had practised those plans as well, but somehow we couldn’t execute them in the two matches. That said, the girls are motivated and experienced enough to understand where they are missing out, and they will come back stronger,” Salvi concluded.
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