You could say she made a night of high tension at the World Cup into something for the record books. The 356 scalps put the India all-rounder in a class of her own on June 28, 2026, at Lord’s, and she did it while Australia were about to put an end to India’s run with a six-wicket victory.
A record sealed at Lord’s
The moment of truth was when she got rid of Beth Mooney with the very first ball of the 10th over. Mooney put a slog sweep away and Radha Yadav made the catch at long-on; one out and Deepti was over the 355 mark set by Jhulan.
It was only fitting for her 279th game for the country. That kind of longevity is what you need for a milestone like this, especially in a do-or-die encounter in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
What puts Deepti on top
She hasn’t just been a one-format wonder. If you look at the numbers: 22 in a handful of Tests (six), 166 in 124 ODIs and 168 in 149 T20Is. In fact, she is already the best in T20Is, with two more than Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong who has 165 from 105 games.
This World Cup has been no different for her. You had to be there for the five she took against Pakistan in Birmingham back on June 14 to see the kind of spell that put India on the front foot early on.
Some of the key stats from her career:
– 356 wickets in all
– 279 matches under her belt
– 5/7 in a Test
– 6/20 in an ODI
– 5/10 in a T20I
India’s night of extremes
Harmanpreet Kaur put on a show in the latter part of the innings to get India to 170/4. The captain made 56 in 27, including three back-to-back sixes off Sophie Molineux in the last over for 23 runs.
Before that, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on 66 for the first wicket, with 38 and 34 apiece. But the momentum wavered after Shafali went trying to quicken the pace and a bit of confusion saw Mandhana run out. Jemimah Rodrigues chipped in with 34 before being given a rest for Richa Ghosh.
Australia made short work of 171, with an over to make up for, and Ellyse Perry was the star of the hour with 56 runs to be named Player of the Match. It was a loss that put India out of the running for the semis, since South Africa had done us in by beating Bangladesh.
The all-time picture after the milestone
Deepti is unchallenged at 356. Jhulan, the one she has passed, left the field with 355 in 284 outings – 44 in 12 Tests, 255 in 204 ODIs and 56 in 68 T20Is.
Then you have the rest of the pack. Ellyse Perry of Australia is on 336, with England’s Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone not far behind on 335 and 333. Shabnim Ismail of South Africa is in the mix with 323.
In a way, it’s a passing of the torch for Indian bowling. Jhulan had her thunder; Deepti has a different kind of control, using flight and guile as much as bounce and seam. The standard hasn’t dropped, just the style has evolved.
This will be more than a stat line for some time to come. When you put up a number like 356 with your team’s fate in the balance, it sticks with you. For now, the World Cup moves on, but the story of the day is Deepti Sharma and her 356th wicket.
