Deepti Sharma is one of the most reliable players in the India Women team in cricket over a number of years. She is the one who made her ODI debut with South Africa in Bengaluru in November 2014 and has grown to be credited with her all-round talent. Deepti has been the savior in India in several critical games whether it be with the bat or the ball.
During the first game of World Cup 2025 in Women football against Sri Lanka at Guwahati, Deepti again justified herself. She also came in handy with the important knock of 53 runs off 53 balls with India having struggled at 124 out of 6. The ball was also later impressed by her, where she took 3 wickets in 54 runs in her 10 overs. She carried on with her good form in the following match against Pakistan in Colombo where she made 25 runs and 3 wickets at 45.
With 114 ODIs under her belt, Deepti has been compared to Indian icon Kapil Dev who had equally played the same number of matches on the same level during his career. When India and South Africa meet their next encounter in the World Cup, the fans will again expect Deepti to perform with bat and ball in their hands.
1. Deepti Sharma vs Kapil Dev -Wickets and Bowling Average.
Deepti Sharma has 146 wickets in 114 ODIs at the average of 27.92. She has excelled especially against Sri Lanka where she has taken 27 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 17.37. She also has 26 wickets of 16 matches with New Zealand and 18 wickets with Australia and England.
In 114 ODIs Kapil Dev had 136 wickets at an average of 26.96. He had 33 wickets against Australia, 30 wickets against Pakistan and 22 wickets against New Zealand in 30 and 22 matches respectively. Both have been frequent with Deepti having slightly more wickets on average.
2. Deepti Sharma vs Kapil Dev -Five wicket hauls.
In her 114 ODIs, Deepti Sharma has three five and two four wicket hauls. She has had the best performances of 6-20 vs Sri Lanka, 6-31 vs West Indies and 5-38 vs Australia in 2016, 2024 and 2023 respectively.
| Player | Wickets | Average | Economy | BBI | 4w | 5w |
| Deepti Sharma | 146 | 27.92 | 4.30 | 6-20 | 2 | 3 |
| Kapil Dev | 136 | 26.96 | 3.75 | 5-43 | 1 | 1 |
However, Kapil Dev had a single five-wicket haul and a single four-wicket haul following 114 ODIs. He had his highest of 5-43 against Australia in the 1983 world cup and also against Australia in 1986 4-30. Deepti has been more prolific in the delivery of big bowling performances.
3. Deepti Sharma v Kapil Dev -Runs Scored.
Deepti Sharma has captured 2602 runs at an average of 37.71 in 114 ODIs. Her scores against South Africa, England, and Australia have been 526 runs, 386 runs and 386 runs respectively. She is an important all-rounder to India on account of her regular contributions with the bat.
Kapil Dev had accumulated a cumulative of 2,349 runs with an average of 28.30 in 114 ODIs. He had 450, 443, and 384 runs against Australia, New Zealand, and West Indies respectively. Deepti has been more consistent and averaged higher than Kapil in terms of batting record at the same stage.
4. Deepti Sharma vs Kapil Dev- 50+ Scores.
In her 114 ODIs, Deepti has 17 50 or more scores, one century, and 16 half-centuries. She has a top score of 188 against Ireland in 2017. She has made fifties off South Africa, England, Sri Lanka, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.
| Player | Runs | Average | SR | HS | 50s | 100s |
| Deepti Sharma | 2,602 | 37.71 | 69.85 | 188 | 1 | 16 |
| Kapil Dev | 2,349 | 28.30 | 105.10 | 175* | 1 | 13 |
Kapil Dev had 14 50 plus scores in 114 ODIs with one century and 13 fifties. He had a highest score of 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 world cup. Deepti has a little higher scores of 50 plus indicating that she can bring the bat to the table on a regular basis.
