New Delhi: Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma She is on the verge of rewriting cricket history when she plays India against Bangladesh in the fourth match of Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday.The 28-year-old off-spinner is currently tied with the former India pace legend Jhulan Goswami The leading wicket-takers in women’s international cricket, both took 355 wickets. A wicket against Bangladesh would put Deepti ahead of Goswami and stand alone at the top of the all-time list.
Just one step away from history: Deepti’s record chase
Deepti has already performed well in the tournament. She opened the innings with a brilliant five-wicket haul against Pakistan, setting the tone for India’s early dominance. She then equaled Julan’s long-standing record with figures of 1/26 against the Netherlands.However, she did not take a wicket in India’s last match against South Africa, a match the Proteas lost to. Harmanpreet KaurThe team lost by six goals. Despite the setback, Deepti remains India’s most reliable bowling option and has a crucial match coming up.Across all formats, her numbers underscore her dominance. Deepti is already India’s leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals and the highest wicket-taker in the world in the tournament, with 167 wickets in 147 matches. In ODIs, she has taken 166 wickets in 124 matches, second only to India’s Jhulan Goswami’s 255. In Tests, she took 22 wickets in just 6 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), underlining the elite company she is about to surpass.
India’s concerns over order in China ahead of Bangladesh conflict
While Deepti’s milestone raised eyebrows, India entered the match with tactical concerns. strong from Mandana And Shafali Verma has been providing India with early impetus, but the middle order has struggled to convert the platform into match-winning totals.Enders Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma had too much to do in the limited time as they failed to make full use of the midfield game. India’s loss to South Africa also exposed their defensive lapses as they reduced their opponents to 25 for 2.Bangladesh, meanwhile, are confident after wins over Pakistan and Netherlands, built on disciplined team performance rather than individual brilliance.For India, a win would ensure they reach the semi-finals and set up a high-profile clash with Australia. For Bangladesh, another upset will shake up Group A.
