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NEW DELHI: India spinner Deepti Sharma etched her name into the record books during India’s must-win Women’s T20 World Cup clash against Australia, becoming the highest wicket-taker in the history of women’s international cricket.Deepti achieved the landmark when she dismissed Australian opener Beth Mooney, who miscued a slog sweep and was caught by Radha Yadav at long-on. The wicket took Deepti’s tally to 356 international wickets, moving her past former India pacer Jhulan Goswami (355) to the top of the all-time list. Australia’s Ellyse Perry (336), England’s Katherine Sciver-Brunt (335), Sophie Ecclestone (333) and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail (323) complete the top six.
Most wickets in Women’s international cricket
- 356 – Deepti Sharma (IND)
- 355 – Jhulan Goswami (IND)
- 336 – Ellyse Pelly (AUS)
- 335 – Katherine Sciver-Brunt (ENG)
- 333 – Sophie Ecclestone (ENG)
- 323 – Shabnim Ismail (SA)
Earlier, India posted 170/4 after captain Harmanpreet Kaur produced a brilliant unbeaten knock of 56 off just 27 balls. The innings came at a crucial time as India needed a win to keep their semifinal hopes alive after South Africa’s victory over Bangladesh.India started steadily, with Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34) adding 66 runs for the opening wicket. However, the scoring rate remained moderate before Shafali was dismissed while trying to accelerate. Soon after, Mandhana was run out following a mix-up with Jemimah Rodrigues, leaving India under pressure.Jemimah scored 34 off 28 balls but struggled to maintain momentum and was eventually retired out before the final over to make way for big-hitter Richa Ghosh.While India’s batting effort appeared slightly below par for much of the innings, Harmanpreet changed the game’s momentum in spectacular fashion. The skipper smashed three consecutive sixes off Australian captain Sophie Molineux in the final over, helping India score 23 runs in the last six balls and finish with a competitive total of 170.Eventually, Australia defeated India by six wickets in their crucial Women’s T20 World Cup clash, knocking the Women in Blue out of the tournament. Chasing 171, Australia reached the target with an over to spare, thanks to a match-winning performance from Ellyse Perry, who was named Player of the Match for a 56-run knock. Earlier, Harmanpreet Kaur’s explosive half-century had helped India post 170/4.
