When it comes to World Cups, Deepti Sharma would rather like to take five wickets. With the bat, she prefers to play innings that impact a game.

Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, yes, but not totally untrue, if you consider her performance over the last few months. In the final of the 2025 World Cup final at Navi Mumbai last November, she made a run-a-ball 58 that ensured India would put up a good enough total that would be beyond even the brilliant Laura Wolvaardt. And then she took five wickets, including that of the prolific, stylish South African captain.

In her next World Cup match, albeit in a different format, she picked up five wickets again. That was after she was involved in an innings-saving sixth-wicket partnership with Richa Ghosh in India’s opening match at the T20 World Cup, against Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday (June 14, 2026).  

So what is it with Deepti Sharma and World Cups?

She answered that question at the press conference with her broadest smile. “I like the pressure [situations] and the ICC tournaments,” she revealed. “I feel I have started [at this World Cup] from where I had finished. It feels good.”

She has more than one reason to feel good now. With 166 wickets, she has once again become the leading bowler in Women’s T20Is, overtaking Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong. She had snatched that honour from Australia’s Megan Schutt at Thiruvananthapuram last December during the series against Sri Lanka.

Her spell of five for 10 is also the best spell by an Indian at the Women’s T20 World Cup; overall, only West Indies’ Deandra Dottin and South Africa’s Sune Luus have better figures.

Against Pakistan, it was Deepti who provided India the breakthrough, removing Gull Feroza, whose opening stand with Muneeba Ali was worth 38 and promising more.

Deepti would later on run Muneeba out with a direct hit. She signed off in style, too, claiming Pakistan’s three last wickets in her final over.

It truly was another standout performance by Deepti, underlying her stature as one of the finest allrounders in the women’s game. Her off-spin has become such a vital part in India’s attack, regardless of conditions. And people have almost forgotten that she had once made 188 in an ODI match.

That was in 2017 against Ireland in South Africa. She had put on 320 for the opening wicket with Punam Raut.

That record still stands.