Women's T20 World Cup: Deepti Sharma on cusp of shattering massive World Record in clash against Bangladesh

Indian superstar all-rounder Deepti Sharma is on the verge of creating cricket history as she gears up for India's crucial fourth Group A encounter against Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup 2026 on June 25.

Deepti Sharma chasing a historic milestone

The 28-year-old off-spinner currently shares the record for the most wickets in women's international cricket with legendary former Indian fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, with both icons tied at 355 wickets. Securing just a single dismissal against Bangladesh will propel Deepti to the absolute top of the all-time list, adding another monumental achievement to her illustrious career.

Deepti on verge of becoming leading wicket-taker in women's international cricket 

Deepti’s journey through the ongoing tournament has been highly impressive. She kicked off the World Cup in spectacular fashion, dismantling arch-rivals Pakistan with a dominant five-wicket haul to orchestrate a crucial victory for the Women in Blue. She maintained that momentum in Leeds against the Netherlands, returning economical figures of 1/26 in her three overs—a breakthrough that officially brought her level with Goswami's long-standing international benchmark.

India set sights on Women's T20 World Cup semifinal spot

Though the star off-spinner went wicketless during India’s recent six-wicket defeat to South Africa, her value to the bowling attack remains undeniable. As India prepares for a must-win clash against Bangladesh to keep their semifinal aspirations alive, Deepti stands out as one of the team's primary weapons. The team will heavily rely on her tactical acumen and wicket-taking ability to stifle the opposition and get their World Cup campaign back on a winning track.

When it comes to the shortest format of the game, Deepti is already without equal. She stands at the absolute pinnacle of global cricket as the world's leading wicket-taker in Women's T20 Internationals, having dismantled batting lineups to claim 167 wickets in 147 appearances. Her dominance extends to the 50-over arena as well; with 166 wickets from 124 One-Day Internationals, she sits comfortably as India's second-highest wicket-taker in ODI history, trailing only the legendary Jhulan's towering benchmark of 255 scalps.

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Across the Formats
In the traditional longest format, Deepti has proven to be incredibly lethal, snaring 22 Test wickets in a mere six matches. To put her career trajectory into perspective alongside her legendary predecessor, Jhulan concluded her phenomenal international journey in 2022 with a grand total of 44 Test wickets, 255 ODI wickets, and 56 T20I breakthroughs. Deepti's ability to replicate that cross-format success has fast-tracked her toward the history books.

Deepti and Jhulan's joint supremacy at 355 wickets puts them at the very top of an elite list. The chasing pack on the all-time international wicket-taking charts features some of the greatest names to ever play the game, including England’s Katherine Sciver-Brunt (335), Australian icon Ellyse Perry (332), premier England spinner Sophie Ecclestone (327), and South African speedster Shabnim Ismail (318).