Navi Mumbai: India’s No. 1 all-rounder and the Player of the Tournament at the Women’s World Cup, Deepti Sharma, has set a record that not even men’s ODI cricket has ever witnessed.
Having finished the World Cup as the leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets, alongside 215 runs and three catches, Deepti was already the tournament’s standout performer. But her feat in the final against South Africa at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday elevated her to an entirely new level of greatness.
India clinched their first-ever Women’s World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs — a historic moment that will forever mark November 2, 2025, as a golden day in Indian cricket.
Historic all-round performance in the final
The 28-year-old from Agra first scored a crucial 58 runs off 58 balls, striking one six and three fours. Later, she dismantled the South African lineup with a five-wicket haul for just 39 runs.
In the long history of ODI cricket — both men’s and women’s — no player had ever achieved the rare double of a half-century and five wickets in a knockout match. Deepti Sharma became the first to do so, rewriting the record books.
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First in 52 years of Women’s World Cup history
In the 52-year history of the Women’s ODI World Cup, Deepti is also the first-ever player to score a half-century and take five wickets in the same match.
Only player with 200+ runs and 20+ wickets in a single World Cup
She also became the first cricketer — male or female — to score over 200 runs and take more than 20 wickets in a single edition of the World Cup. Throughout the tournament, Deepti notched up three half-centuries and claimed four or more wickets twice.
Another unique record for Deepti
Deepti Sharma is now only the second player in history to take five wickets in a Women’s World Cup final. The first was England’s Anya Shrubsole, who took 6 for 46 against India in the 2017 final, which India narrowly lost.
However, while Shrubsole was a pacer, Deepti’s achievement comes as a spinner, making her the first-ever spinner in World Cup final history to claim a five-wicket haul — a testament to her all-round brilliance and composure under pressure.
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