Deepti Sharma becomes leading T20I wicket-taker as India thrash Thailand in Asia Cup

Veteran Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma became the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20 Internationals as India thrashed Thailand by 94 runs in their Women’s Asia Cup Group A match here.

Deepti reached 171 T20I wickets during her 150th appearance for India, surpassing Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong, who has 170 wickets.

The 27-year-old right-arm off-spinner bowled a miserly 1.1 overs, conceding no runs and taking three wickets to achieve the milestone.

Deepti also became only the third Indian after Harmanpreet Kaur (203) and Smriti Mandhana (172) to play 150 or more T20Is. She is the 12th woman cricketer overall to reach the landmark.

Reflecting on the achievement, Deepti said representing India remained more important to her than personal milestones.

“More than 150 wickets, it's a proud feeling to wear the Indian jersey with the Indian logo. It's about doing the right things as an Indian player,” she said. “I don't think about who I'm going to play against. I focus on how I can keep getting better and help my bowling unit.”

Deepti also credited India's camp at the Centre of Excellence for giving the team confidence ahead of the tournament. “The camp at the Centre of Excellence gave us a lot of confidence, and we're looking forward to winning the Asia Cup,” she said.

Her figures against Thailand also saw her record the most economical three-wicket haul by an Indian bowler in women's T20Is, having conceded no runs.

Batting first, India made a total of 159/9 in 20 overs, helped by Shafali Verma's 64. Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal chipped in with 19 and 22 each, while the rest of the batting unit dimmed. Then came Deepti's record, which reduced Thailand to just 65 runs, giving India a 94-run win. 

With 171 wickets, Deepti now leads the women's T20I wicket-taking charts. Putthawong is second with 170, followed by Rwanda's Henriette Ishimwe (164), England's Sophie Ecclestone (154) and Hong Kong's Kary Chan (153).