NEW DELHI: Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma is on the verge of rewriting cricket history as she prepares to take the field against Bangladesh in the fourth Group A match in India at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday.The 28-year-old off-spinner is currently tied with the former Indian pace legend Jhulan Goswami as the leading wicket-taker in women’s international cricket, both taking 355 wickets. One goal against Bangladesh will take Deepti past Goswami to stand alone at the top of the all-time list.
One door from history: Deepti’s record chase
Deepti has already delivered an outstanding campaign in the tournament. She opened with a brilliant five-wicket haul against Pakistan, setting the tone for India’s early dominance. She followed up with figures of 1/26 against the Netherlands, a spell that helped her equal Jhulan’s long-standing record.However, she remained wicketless in India’s previous match against South Africa, where the Proteas surrendered Harmanpreet Kaur‘s side lost by six wickets. Despite that setback, Deepti remains India’s most reliable bowling option heading into the crucial encounter.Across formats, her numbers underline her dominance. Deepti is already India’s leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals and the world’s highest wicket-taker in the format, with 167 wickets from 147 matches. In ODIs, she has 166 wickets from 124 matches, second only to Jhulan Goswami with 255 for India. In Tests, she took 22 wickets in just six appearances.Behind Deepti and Jhulan on the all-time list are England’s Katherine Sciver-Brunt (335), Australia’s Ellyse Perry (332), Sophie Ecclestone (327) and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail (318), highlighting the elite company they will surpass.
India’s middle-order concerns ahead of Bangladesh clash
While Deepti’s milestone dominates the attention, India enter the match with tactical quandaries. Strong starts from Smriti Mandhan and Shafali Verma consistently gave India early momentum, but the middle order struggled to convert platforms into winning totals.Failure to capitalize on the middle overs repeatedly left finishers Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma with too much to do in limited time. India’s loss to South Africa also exposed the lapses in play as they reduced the opposition to 25 for 2.Bangladesh, meanwhile, arrive with confidence after wins over Pakistan and the Netherlands, built on disciplined team performances rather than individual brilliance.For India, a win would secure a place in the semi-finals and set up a high-profile clash against Australia. For Bangladesh, another surprise would rock Group A.
