As adept with the ball as she is with the bat, Deepti Sharma is India Women's Cricket Team's Jack of All Trades, their Swiss Army Knife. Ever since a chance throw revealed her talents to the right people, Sharma has not looked back, and continued to move onward and upward
The story goes somewhat like this: training with her brother at the Ekalavya Sports Academy in Agra, Deepti Sharma, when asked to send a loose ball back, hit the stumps from 50 meters out with a fizzing throw in front of the watchful eye of Hemlata Kala, a former India international and then the National Women's Team selector. Stunned by her skill, Kala brought Sharma into the mix and, slowly but steadily, she traversed the road that led to the top. (Cricket News | 2023 ODI World Cup)
Outlook India has joined hands with Oriflame in highlighting the lesser-told stories of sporting triumph amid adversity, via the 'Pitching Glory' initiative. Sharma is a part of a series of players that will feature in the initiative. You can watch the video describing Sharma's incredibly succesful career so far below.
Twenty-six years of age, Sharma is as adept with the bat as she is with the ball, something that is reflected in her current position in the ICC Cricket Rankings; the Agra native is third in the all-rounders list at the time of writing. She bats left-handed and bowls right-arm off break, assisting her team from both ends of the pitch.
At present, after 89 T20Is, Sharma has a record of 914 runs and 100 wickets. Her One Day Internationals record is even more impressive; the all-rounder has scored nearly 1900 runs and taken 91 wickets in 80 games. Furthermore, she was also a part of the squad that won the gold in Women's Cricket at the 2022 Asian Games!