Deepti Sharma creates history, surpasses Jhulan Goswami to become top wicket-taker in women’s international cricket

Deepti Sharma, star India off-spinner and top-ranked all-rounder, has etched her name permanently into the cricket record books. On Sunday, during India’s high-stakes ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group A clash against Australia at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, Deepti became the highest wicket-taker in the history of women’s international cricket, overtaking her legendary compatriot Jhulan Goswami.

Most wickets in Women’s international cricket

356 – Deepti Sharma (IND)

355 – Jhulan Goswami (IND)

336 – Ellyse Pelly (AUS)

335 – Katherine Sciver-Brunt (ENG)

333 – Sophie Ecclestone (ENG)

323 – Shabnim Ismail (SA)

While the day ultimately ended in heartbreak for India – as Australia chased down 171 to win by six wickets and knock the Women in Blue out of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 – Deepti’s achievement stands out as a monumental individual milestone for Indian and global cricket.

What makes Deepti Sharma’s record particularly astounding is her incredible consistency across all three modern formats of the game. Achieving this feat in her 278th international appearance, her career breakdown highlights her versatile lethalness:

T20 Internationals: 168 wickets (in 148 matches). She is already the leading wicket-taker globally in women’s T20Is.

One-Day Internationals: 166 wickets (in 124 matches), trailing only Goswami on India’s historical list.

Test Matches: 22 wickets (in just 6 matches).

By comparison, the legendary fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who retired in 2022, collected her 355 wickets over a 20-year career spanning 284 international matches (44 in Tests, 255 in ODIs, and 56 in T20Is).

Beyond numbers, Deepti stands out for her composure under pressure, economical bowling in powerplays and middle overs, and valuable lower-order batting contributions.

Deepti was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, where she scored 215 runs and took 22 wickets – the first player (male or female) to achieve a 200-run, 20-wicket double in a single World Cup edition.