New Delhi: India all-rounder Deepti Sharma is on the verge of rewriting cricketing history as she prepares to take the field against Bangladesh in India’s fourth match of Group A of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup at the ICC on Thursday.The 28-year-old off-spinner is currently tied with former Indian pace legend Jhulan Goswami as the leading wicket-taker in women’s international cricket, with both of them taking 355 wickets. One wicket against Bangladesh will see him leapfrog Dipti Goswami and stand alone at the top of the all-time list.
Just a wicket away from history: Deepti’s record-breaking chase
Deepti has already had an outstanding campaign in the tournament. She opened the match with a brilliant five-wicket haul against Pakistan, paving the way for India’s early dominance.
She followed it up with figures of 1/26 against Holland, a spell that helped her equal Golan’s long-standing record.However, she went wicketless in India’s previous match against South Africa, as the Proteas handed Harmanpreet Kaur’s side a six-wicket defeat. Despite this setback, Deepti remains India’s most reliable bowling option ahead of a crucial encounter.Across the shapes, their numbers confirm their dominance. Deepti is already India’s leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals and the world’s highest wicket-taker in the format, with 167 wickets from 147 matches.
In ODIs, she has 166 wickets from 124 matches, second only to Jhulan Goswami who took 255 for India. In Tests, she took 22 wickets in just six matches.Behind Dipti and Gohlan on the all-time list are England’s Katherine Seaver-Brent (335), Australia’s Ellyse Perry (332), Sophie Ecclestone (327) and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail (318), highlighting the elite group she is set to beat.
India’s middle order concerns ahead of Bangladesh clash
While Deepti’s achievement dominates attention, India enter the match with tactical concerns. Strong starts from
Smriti Mandhana
and Shafali Verma consistently gave India early momentum, but the middle order struggled to convert stands into match-winning totals.Failure to capitalize on the middle overs left finishers Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma with a lot to do in limited time. India’s defeat to South Africa also exposed their fielding lapses after they reduced the opposition to 25 for 2.Meanwhile, Bangladesh arrive confident after wins over Pakistan and Netherlands, built on a disciplined team performance rather than individual brilliance.For India, a win would ensure their passage to the semi-finals and set up a high-profile clash against Australia. For Bangladesh, another upset would shake up Group A.