NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Deepti Sharma is on the brink of rewriting cricket history as she prepares to take the field against Bangladesh in India’s fourth Group A match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday.The 28-year-old off-spinner is currently tied with former India pace legend Jhulan Goswami as the leading wicket-taker in women’s international cricket, with both having claimed 355 wickets. A single wicket against Bangladesh will see Deepti move past Goswami and stand alone at the top of the all-time list.
One wicket away from history: Deepti’s record chase
Deepti has already delivered a standout campaign in the tournament. She opened with a brilliant five-wicket haul against Pakistan, setting the tone for India’s early dominance. She followed it up with figures of 1/26 against the Netherlands, a spell that helped her equal Jhulan’s long-standing record.However, she went wicketless in India’s previous match against South Africa, where the Proteas handed Harmanpreet Kaur’s side a six-wicket defeat. Despite that setback, Deepti remains India’s most reliable bowling option heading into a crucial encounter.Across formats, her numbers underline her dominance. Deepti is already India’s leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals and the highest wicket-taker globally in the format, with 167 wickets from 147 matches. In ODIs, she has 166 wickets from 124 matches, second only to Jhulan Goswami’s 255 for India. In Tests, she has taken 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 she is set to surpass.
India’s middle-order concerns ahead of Bangladesh clash
While Deepti’s milestone dominates attention, India enter the match with tactical concerns. Strong starts from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma have consistently given India early momentum, but the middle order has struggled to convert platforms into match-winning totals.The failure to capitalise in the middle overs has repeatedly left finishers Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma with too much to do in limited time. India’s defeat to South Africa also exposed fielding lapses after they had reduced the opposition to 25 for 2.Bangladesh, meanwhile, arrive with confidence after wins over Pakistan and Netherlands, built on disciplined team performances rather than individual brilliance.For India, a win would secure their semi-final push and set up a high-profile clash against Australia. For Bangladesh, another upset would shake up Group A.
