Deepti Sharma Takes 3/0 in 150th T20I, Becomes Women's T20I All-Time Leading Wicket-Taker

Deepti Sharma is now the leading wicket-taker in Women's T20I history. She got there with a spell that's hard to top: three wickets, zero runs conceded, seven balls, in her 150th T20I appearance for India.

On Sunday, August 30, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India opened its Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026 campaign against Thailand. India won by 94 runs, according to News18 and Times of India.

The Spell

Deepti entered the match tied with Thailand's Thipatcha Putthawong on 170 career T20I wickets. She needed just one more to take the record outright.

She got two in the ninth over. Times of India and Yahoo Sports both report she struck twice in that over to leave Thailand reeling at 44/6, drawing level with Putthawong in the process. News18's ball-by-ball detail has her opening with an lbw dismissal of Naomi Hamilton, then bowling Nannaphat Chaihan for a two-ball duck two balls later, caught by Nandani Sharma.

Deepti came back in the 17th over and struck again with her first delivery, dismissing wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai, caught by Richa Ghosh. That was Thailand's top scorer, out for 41 off 48 balls. She was the only Thailand batter to reach double figures, per News18.

Thailand was bowled out for 65 in 16.1 overs.

The Numbers

Deepti's three wickets took her tally to 171, moving her past Putthawong, who took one wicket in the same match to finish on 170. Rwanda's Henriette Ishimwe sits third with 164, and England's Sophie Ecclestone is fourth with 154, according to Yahoo Sports and Times of India.

Her 3/0 figures are also historic in their own right. Times of India reports she's the first Indian bowler to take three or more wickets without conceding a run in a Women's T20I, and only the 26th such spell in the format's history worldwide. It's also the best figures by an Indian bowler taking at least three wickets in a T20I, beating Renuka Singh's 3/5 against Sri Lanka in Sylhet back in 2022.

The milestone came alongside another one. Deepti became just the third Indian woman, after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, to reach 150 T20I appearances, according to both Times of India and News18.

How India Got There

Before Deepti's spell, India had to survive a wobble of their own. Shafali Verma set the tone with 64 off 36 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes and reaching her 19th T20I half-century in just 26 deliveries, per Yahoo Sports.

India raced past 100 in 10 overs and looked set for a total well north of 200. Thailand's spinners hit back. Leg-spinner Suleeporn Laomi took 3/26, dismissing Shafali and Richa Ghosh in successive deliveries as India collapsed from 108/2 to 137/9, losing seven wickets for 29 runs, according to details reported by Aman Shanti News. Off-spinner Sunida Chaturongrattana chipped in with 2/31.

Pratika Rawal, playing her T20I debut in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues, made 22 off 18 balls before Laomi got her too. Kranti Goud's unbeaten 15 off eight balls gave India a late lift to 159/9.

That total proved more than enough once Deepti went to work with the ball.

What's Next

Speaking after the match, Deepti kept the focus narrow. "I don't think about who is going to play next. I just always believe in myself and focus on how I can keep getting better each and every day and help my team, especially the bowlers," she told broadcasters, according to India Today.

India, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, are next scheduled to face Hong Kong, China in the tournament on September 3, per a Sony Sports Network broadcast schedule cited by India Today. News18 notes Putthawong will have a chance to reclaim the top spot when Thailand face Pakistan in their third Group A match, while Deepti could extend her lead in India's upcoming matches against Hong Kong China and Pakistan.

One open question for the tournament: whether Thailand's collapse to 65 all out signals a wider gap in Group A, or whether Suleeporn Laomi's spell with the ball shows Thailand can trouble stronger batting lineups when it counts.