Deepti Sharma and her World Cup of redemption as she upped her game in the final with a run-a-ball 58 and then a five-wicket haul.
MVP Deepti Sharma sings her song of redemption loud and clear.
South Africa: Deepti Sharma. World Cup.
Even Deepti would have remembered that 2022 World Cup night in Christchurch if those words had been spoken to her until Sunday night. With the set Mignon du Preez in front of her, Deepti had to defend six runs in the final over as India was on the verge of advancing to the semi-finals and needed to defeat South Africa in a crucial match.
Before understanding that the umpires were checking for a no-ball and that Deepti had no part of her heel within the crease, Deepti had du Preez caught at long-on to start wild celebrations when South Africa needed three from two. Du Preez scored the winning runs after two balls. Jhulan Goswami’s last World Cup ambition was dashed when she left the game with a niggle and covered her mouth with her hands, leaving a lasting impression.
How Deepti would have slept that night is difficult to determine. or how she handled that in the days and years that followed. Deepti may have already carried baggage into the 2022 World Cup after failing to lead India to victory over England in the 2017 final, where she was the second-last wicket to fall and India lost by just nine runs.
In previous occasions, Harmanpreet Kaur and India have frequently relied on Deepti to break their connection, and Sunday night was no exception. However, there was extra strain because it was the World Cup final.
After the opening quicks failed to take a wicket in the first eight overs, Harmanpreet turned to Eepti as his first bowler. However, due to the pitch’s characteristics and the manner the South African batsmen handled her, Deepti only managed to take Sinalo Jafta out in her first seven overs. However, wickets had been tumbling at the other end, and when Deepti started her eighth wicket, South Africa needed 92 from 66 with five wickets remaining.
Having participated in two international T20 leagues and more than 250 international matches, Deepti is renowned for her versatility and cunning. Annerie Dercksen, whom she had dropped on 24, was bowled for 35 as she threw down a yorker that Dercksen was unable to pick.
This tournament, Deepti has been a reliable death-overs bowler, and in front of a full stadium, that obligation might have felt more burdensome. When she got the largest of them, Laura Wolvaardt, it didn’t show. With the field spread out, Deepti hit a one-in-flat to the century-maker, and Amanjot Kaur received the mishandled slog sweep at deep midwicket. Another change in pace occurred three balls later, and Chloe Tryon was ruled lbw after missing a flatter one.
In this World Cup, Deepti has also scored runs fast and saved India multiple times with the bat. Her game took on a new dimension in 2025 due to an increase in her strike rate. Deepti led the way with a run-a-ball 53 to give India a competitive score when they were 121 for 5 against Sri Lanka.
Deepti had scored 50 off 57 and kept India going till the 47th over, despite the lingering belief that she should have led the side in the chase following the England defeat. After the two batters in front of her, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet, had fell, she once more produced a gutsy run-a-ball 58 in the final.
Deepti’s World Cup total of 215 runs at a strike rate of 90.33 is not far off her strike rate of 103.25 this year before to the start of the World Cup, a notable improvement from 71.38 in the previous two years.
For her team, the over 40,000 spectators at the stadium, and the millions of Indians watching from around the globe, it seemed fitting that Deepti sealed India’s first-ever World Cup victory by catching Nadine de Klerk with a soaring Harmanpreet.
And the night in Navi Mumbai on November 2, 2025, will be remembered the next time someone mentions Deepti Sharma, South Africa, and the World Cup together.