Deepti Sharma breaks world record at Edgbaston on June 14, 2026. The India all-rounder took 5 for 10 against Pakistan in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener to become the highest wicket-taker in Women’s T20 International cricket. She now holds 166 wickets. No bowler in the history of the format has ever taken more.
Deepti Sharma’s Record-Breaking Spell Against Pakistan
Pakistan were chasing 171 at Edgbaston and looked steady early on. Muneeba Ali made 41 and gave the chase some early momentum. Then Deepti came on to bowl and everything changed.
She dismissed Gull Feroza, caught at backward point. She then removed Ayesha Zafar, caught by Smriti Mandhana at short fine leg. She returned in her final over and bowled Pakistan out completely, getting Aliya Riaz caught at deep midwicket by Jemimah Rodrigues. Three wickets in that final over. Five wickets for just 10 runs across four overs.
Pakistan were bowled out for 106 in 17 overs. India beat Pakistan by 64 runs. Deepti was named Player of the Match.
The Record That Changed Women’s Cricket History
Deepti’s fifth wicket against Pakistan was her 166th in Women’s T20 Internationals. That delivery took her past Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong, who held the previous record with 165 wickets in 105 matches.
Deepti has now taken those 166 wickets in 145 T20I matches at an average of 19.42 and an economy rate of 6.29. Putthawong’s economy rate was 3.99 across 105 matches. Deepti has achieved this record playing against stronger oppositions, in bigger tournaments, and on a far wider variety of surfaces around the world. That context matters when understanding how significant this record truly is.
Her figures of 5 for 10 are also her career-best in T20I cricket and the third-best bowling figures in the entire history of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Ten Years in the Making
Deepti Sharma made her T20I debut on January 31, 2016 against Australia in Sydney. She was 19 years old. Ten years later she stands at the top of Women’s T20I cricket’s all-time wicket-taking list.
She has played 275 international matches across all formats for India. She became the first spinner ever to take more than 350 wickets in Women’s international cricket. She has taken more than 160 wickets in both ODIs and T20Is separately. No other bowler in Women’s cricket history has reached that milestone in two formats simultaneously.
This is not a record that came from luck or a single good run of form. It was built over a decade of consistent excellence in every condition and every tournament.
Always at Her Best in ICC Tournaments
The most striking thing about Deepti Sharma is that she saves her very best performances for the biggest stages. She was the leading wicket-taker at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 with 22 wickets across the tournament. She also took a five-wicket haul in the final against South Africa at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and was named Player of the Tournament.
She also took 5 for 19 against South Africa in Johannesburg in April 2026. That means she now has two five-wicket hauls in T20I cricket within just two months. No India bowler, male or female, has produced that kind of form at the highest level in such a short space of time.
For Pakistan, India, and every team that faces India in this tournament, that is an alarming pattern to study.
What Deepti Said After Making History
Deepti received the Player of the Match award and spoke with her usual calm. She said she was very grateful and gave credit to the whole team. She explained that the pitch was turning and that she varied her pace on every ball in every over. She added that it helped her a lot.
That is Deepti Sharma in a sentence. A world record broken and her first instinct is to talk about the team and the conditions rather than herself.
What This Record Means for India Going Forward
India are chasing their first ever Women’s T20 World Cup title in 2026. They have never won this tournament. Indian team’s chances were high in this match as they have a stronger team as compared to Pakistan. Deepti Sharma in this kind of form makes them a genuine threat to every side in the competition.
She is 28 years old. She is at the peak of her powers. She is breaking records in group stage matches at a World Cup. If she continues this form into the knockout rounds, India will be extremely difficult to beat. This record is not just a personal milestone. It is a warning to every team left in this tournament.
