Deepti Sharma has been under immense pressure after going wicketless in five consecutive T20Is. As India slipped to a 3-0 deficit against South Africa, Deepti’s economy rate climbed above 10, raising concerns about her form. Ahead of the fourth T20I, head coach Amol Muzumdar also admitted that her struggles were a concern with the T20 World Cup looming.
But on Saturday 25.4. Deepti returned to form with a roar and silenced her critics in style. The 28-year-old claimed her first five-wicket haul to return to 4-0-19-5 as India beat the Proteas by 14 runs at the Wanderers Stadium.
South Africa vs India Women’s 4th T20I: Highlights | Scorecard
She later admitted that while others believed in her, she initially lacked confidence, but was determined to bounce back, knowing that failures at key moments tend to linger in the mind.
“You all had so much faith in me in the beginning. I didn’t have much faith in myself but I knew I had to come back strong because the team really needed it. If you don’t perform at a crucial moment, it stays somewhere in your mind,” Deepti said while talking to Jemimah Rodrigues in an interview on BCCI Women’s social media.
‘I MADE MINOR CORRECTIONS’
Apart from her five-wicket haul, Deepti also played a handy knock of 36 off 26 balls to help India post 185 for five. She revealed that she worked on her bowling with Harmanpreet Kaur in the nets, making minor adjustments that played a key role in her comeback.
“My goal was to play one such knock or spell one such spell that could lead the team to a good result. I still believed in my hard work and I think the work I did with Harry di, especially the little corrections during the nets, really helped me a lot,” added Deepti.
Deepti Sharma also became only the fourth woman to take five wickets in all three formats, after Jhulan Goswami, Jenny Gunn and Ashleigh Gardner. Deepti will look to carry that momentum into the fifth and final T20I against South Africa on Monday, April 27 at Willowmoore Park.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
26 Apr 2026 21:56 IST
