India’s World Cup MVP looks back at the turning points of the tournament and how the team banded together to lift their first ODI World Cup trophy
Interview by Vishal Dikshit21-Nov-20251:50
Deepti on India’s long ODI World Cup drought: “We were determined to win this time, we’d waited long enough”
In her ten years of playing internationals, the undoubted highlight of Deepti Sharma’s career so far is the recent Women’s World Cup win, in which she created and broke several records, finishing as the player of the tournament in India’s victorious campaign. She looks back here at the team’s preparation and her own, and the top moments from the tournament.Let’s start with the last wicket that you took that sealed the win in the final. Has it all sunk in now, and what does it mean to you individually and the team?
It’s still sinking in. We have such great memories and we want to cherish them forever. I’m the luckiest one that I got to bowl that last delivery. Lifting that trophy was an amazing memory for me. [Nadine] de Klerk had been batting well throughout the World Cup so her wicket was crucial. When only one wicket was left, we wanted to finish it off quickly.How vividly do you still the remember that moment – Harmanpreet Kaur’s jump to take that catch, the celebrations that followed, how the crowd erupted in the stands?
Absolutely, those will remain with me forever. The way she took the catch and started celebrating around the ground, it was like her Kapil Dev moment [Kapil’s catch in the 1983 World Cup final to dismiss Viv Richards]. She kept the ball also with her. Taking the last wicket is something I’ll remember forever.Related
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Tell us about how the team atmosphere was before the game. When you were all in the dressing room before the final, there must have been some nervousness? What was everyone doing before the game?
It was raining heavily when we reached the dressing room, so we were just hoping for the match to start somehow. Our family members had all come. We were all just waiting, nobody was nervous, we were hoping that somehow we would get a full game and we would go out to play. We knew what we had to do once the match started, we believed in ourselves, in each other.The best thing about this team is the belief we have. Right from the first match [of the World Cup] we would discuss things in the team meetings, what the takeaways were, how to change our plans. We would always think about what options we had. And we were quite chill before the final. We were not thinking too much and we treated it like a normal match. We just wanted to focus as much as we could for those seven-eight hours.Deepti picked up the key wickets of Annerie Dercksen and Laura Wolvaardt in her five-for•ICC/Getty ImagesHarmanpreet said a few times both before and after the final that this is a special team. You are now a senior player in the side. What are the things that make this team special?
Firstly, this was the youngest team. Earlier there used to be more senior players and not as many young players. This time most of them were young and everyone had been told their role. Every player had a lot of clarity about their plan and what to do in what position, in what situation, and there was no confusion. For example Shree Charani [21-year-old left-arm spinner] used to come to me and ask me questions on how I plan, what I would do in certain situations. So everyone was working towards the common goal of making this team win.I want to ask you specifically about two wickets out of the five you took in the final. One was the yorker with which you bowled Annerie Dercksen and the other was the quicker delivery that trapped Chloe Tryon lbw. We barely see spinners bowl such yorkers. Could you tell us about the thinking behind that and your pace variations, especially because that pitch was a little sticky after the rain?
I have added different variations to my bowling. If we have more options like a yorker, we should know when to use it. About Tryon – I know she is a good batter who always takes the match deep. So I was aware of my bowling options and [knew that] if I try them now, I could get a wicket. I was confident of doing that and the delivery working in my favour. And Dercksen’s wicket was also crucial because she had a good partnership with Laura Wolvaardt. So I was focused on how to get a breakthrough and Harry [Harmanpreet] was telling me, “Deepti, wicket .” [We just need one more wicket] Because removing a set batter would have put pressure on them. So I just wanted to use my variations as much as possible.”Since you mentioned Wolvaardt’s wicket, that juggling catch Amanjot Kaur took in the deep on the third attempt was also memorable. What went through your mind during all that?
She has taken some brilliant catches, but this kind of a catch with such fumbles, I think she took for the first time. There would have been pressure on her, no doubt, because it’s that stage, the final, and taking high catches under the lights is not easy. But we were lucky she took it on the third attempt. Obviously that was the main wicket and we had practised a lot for such catches under lights for these kinds of situations. We were really playing as a unit, and not just the playing XI – the four players outside as well were supporting a lot, and their role was equally important.2:29
On Jemimah Rodrigues’ 127 not out in the semi-final: “A top player is one who performs in a crunch game”
Before this victory, everyone used to talk about the 2017 World Cup final and how the Indian team came so close to lifting the trophy then. Does winning the World Cup now in a way erase the memories of 2017?
For me, the 2017 World Cup was a pivotal time for women’s cricket. And for me, it was my first World Cup. I don’t want to forget about it at all because there were a lot of positive changes that came about for women’s cricket and the game has grown a lot since then. Earlier there weren’t so many matches before that World Cup. We finished runners-up, but the grand reception we got when we went to Delhi, it was as if we were the winners. That’s how everyone made us feel. The crowd for that 2017 final was also good – there were a lot of people cheering for India. So we have a lot of good memories from that time.In my case, a lot of people started asking, “Who is Deepti Sharma?” and came to know how my game is, how I change the game. People started to know about me, even in other cities outside Agra. That was a turning point for me as well as women’s cricket.And this 2025 World Cup cannot be topped because it’s the first such trophy. We had all been waiting for it for years, including the fans and families. This is truly special and there’s a lot of hard work that went into it. The 45 days that we spent [preparing for the World Cup], we were not even able to sleep properly. It was constantly playing on our minds. We were all thinking that we have to get to the final and lift the trophy this time, [enough is enough]. So many times it happened that we reached the semi-final and the final but we would fall just short of lifting the trophy. So that’s what we were thinking, [it’s now or never]. That was our mindset throughout the World Cup.You were named Player of the Tournament for this World Cup, and you had a great tournament right from the first game against Sri Lanka, when you scored a half-century and took three wickets. There must have been a lot of pressure on you. How did you deal with it so that you were in the right frame of mind when you went out on the field?
In our first game against Sri Lanka, there were a lot of fans in Guwahati to support us. It gives us a boost that it’s not just 11 or 15 of us, there are more people to support us. I personally always enjoy the support of the fans. Other than that we try to block out the outside noise and focus on what our goal is on the field.Deepti credits her T20 sensibilities for improving her batting in ODIs. “I feel that T20 and the 50-overs game have become equal”•ICC/Getty ImagesYou worked on your batting a fair bit leading up to this World Cup. In 2023 your batting strike rate was 62.26 and in 2024 it was 75.30. But in 2025, even before the World Cup had started, your strike rate improved significantly to 103.25, and your average also went up from 31 in 2024 to 76.20 before the World Cup in 2025. What work did you do?
When I used to come home to Agra, I used to practice some specific shots with [older brother] that I had to develop and make them my strength. It was not just about T20s. People often think that we play lofted shots only in T20s. But I feel that T20 and the 50-overs game have become equal in that sense. You need the same strike rate in one-dayers too. This was my mindset, that whenever I bat – whatever I have developed in practice or whatever I have improved in my nets, I should go with the same mindset and apply what I have learned in my game. Whether I got a few balls or a lot of balls, I had belief in my natural game. I didn’t want to play shots only on one side, I wanted to play according to the ball, whether it is in front or for the covers. I wanted to score in every area, and score as much as possible in the least number of balls. This was my mindset in this World Cup.What were the shots you recently added to your game?
Like, there’s a one-handed shot or swing which goes for a boundary or a six that I worked on in the nets. It doesn’t come to you overnight, I had to practise a lot for lofted shots with my brother. The other was to hit the ball straight behind the bowler. These things I worked on mainly for the World Cup, and I saw the results.You were the MVP of the 2024 WPL and you credited it with growth in your game. Although the formats are different, how did the WPL benefit your ODI game?
That season was very important for me. I didn’t bat in any one position in that tournament. Initially, I used to bat at No. 6 or 7 and then suddenly I had to bat at No. 3 and 4. When I spoke to the [UP Warriorz] management at the time, I said I am always ready to bat early or higher up in the order, I am happy to do that for the team. That was my mindset, that it doesn’t matter which number I am going to bat at. I just have to play my game for the team. If you are looking at a good ball and hitting good shots, you’ll only see four or six on the scoreboard. That’s how you can build for the team and get maximum runs for the team in 20 overs. This was my mindset when I was playing in the WPL.1:40
On the winning moment: “That last catch is a moment I will remember forever”
Talking about shuffling up and down the order, Jemimah Rodrigues was moved down to No. 5 in the lead up to the World Cup. But in the middle of the tournament, she was moved back to No. 3, that too just before the knockouts. How did the team try to keep her in a good headspace during all that? She spoke about her struggles and anxiety before she scored the century against Australia in the semi-final?
I think she is used to this – batting as an opener, batting at Nos. 3, 4 or 5. She has practised all this for years in domestic cricket. She was ready. We were motivating her and we tried to ensure that she enjoyed her game, because that brings the best out of her. You must have seen that she punches the air or her bat when she hits a boundary. That’s the kind of energy in her and it comes naturally to her.Even when she’s at the non-striker’s end, she encourages her partners, and we do the same when she’s on strike. That’s how we try to give each other confidence when things are a little up and down, which can happen to anyone. Things weren’t going that great before that [Australia] match. But that’s what defines a great player, one who performs in a knockout or crunch game. You never know [what would have happened] if she didn’t score that century or if she hadn’t been there till the end. She believed in herself that if she stayed till the end, we will definitely chase [339]. This was her mindset. We were also telling her the same thing – that you have to be there, you have to finish the game.We are quite familiar with the conditions of the DY Patil Stadium and how that ground favours the team chasing. We knew that if we stayed there till the 50th over, we would definitely chase it down.Deepti hopes India’s win will inspire more families to support girls who choose to play cricket•ICC/Getty ImagesEmotions must have run high after that semi-final. What was it like to calm yourself down and remind yourself that you still had to play the final and start preparing for it almost from scratch?
Firstly, when we were playing the semi-final, we treated it like a final. If we win the semi, only then will we be champions. So our main focus was only on that, because when you are up against seven-time champions, your mindset should be on a different level, your thinking has to be different. We knew what we had to do in the semi-final. We were very positive. We knew that if we play our best cricket, we can make it happen. We knew if there’s one team Australia are wary of, it’s India, and that it would not be a one-sided game. It’s a good thing that the Indian team is planting doubts in the other team. You can understand how much [Indian women’s] cricket has grown.You are the first player in the history of ODI World Cups who scored over 200 runs and took more than 20 wickets in one tournament. What kind of an effort does it take to excel like this at the top level, on the biggest stage, as an allrounder and now even across formats, year after year?
It’s difficult, no doubt, but it all depends on how you think. My mindset is that whether good things happen or bad, I don’t think much about what to do next. It’s a habit of mine – even when I’m doing well I think about what I can do better and what my learnings are after every match I play. I always keep this in mind that I have three departments to perform in, and even if I’ve not done well in one or two, I can still deliver in the remaining departments. The more I contribute as an allrounder, the better it will be for the team.One thing about this team is that so many senior players are not from big cities. You are from Agra, Smriti Mandhana is from Sangli in Maharashtra, Harmanpreet is from Moga in Punjab. After winning the World Cup, what message do you have for young girls across the country?
For all the young girls, my message would be to think big. And whatever you are interested in, just go with it. The most important thing is family support because not all girls get it. I’m sure that after this World Cup a lot of people will change their mindset that they can also make their girls play cricket. This has definitely changed in women’s cricket. I would want the girls to dream big and always think positive.
