India's quiet constant

There is a traditional theory about the tabla, the principal percussion in Hindustani classical music: that it is best used as an accompanying instrument, to complement the vocalist or the other instrumentalists. In cricket, off-spinning all-rounders can often find themselves playing that side role - essential, but rarely considered glamorous enough to take the spotlight. They are rarely the rockstars in a cricket ensemble.

Sana Mir, the former Pakistan skipper and offspinning all-rounder, is one of the exceptions. And she recognises game.

When Mir first played against a 19-year-old Deepti Sharma in a one-dayer in 2017, the teenager represented the gulf between India and Pakistan cricket to her. On paper, there was nothing extraordinary about Deepti's performance in that match: she conceded only six runs, picked up one wicket in 10 overs, and scored an unbeaten 29 off 73 balls with the bat. Beyond just the skill displayed in that low-scoring affair, what caught Mir's attention about the Indian teenager was the maturity and game sense she displayed at such a young age - first keeping her spell tidy and then taking the team over the line. These were characteristics of a player ready for the international stage right from the get-go.

Deepti made her international debut at 16 - clearly, the talent was evident early to those who take the big calls. But as the years rolled on, and women's cricket itself moved to becoming a professional sport, Deepti not only continued to remain relevant in the cricketing world but also climbed her way to becoming one of the best all-rounders in the world.

Nonetheless, now, after a decade long of match-winning performances, a Player of the Tournament medal in a World Cup and only two strikes shy of becoming the world record holder for most wickets in international cricket, it is fair to say Mir's eyes caught someone special.

Yet, during a period when the profile of Indian cricket rose sharply and the careers of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana - and a few others who followed - somersaulted to stardom; that grandeur somewhat escaped Deepti.

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At the recent annual BCCI Awards, when Harmanpreet was asked who the bowler she would trust with bowling the last over of a match was, "Deepti" was her response.

It was a badge of trust the Indian captain posed on her teammate with whom she has shared the dressing room for 12 years, acknowledging her contribution for being the wisest and the most skilful bowler under pressure to deliver for the team.

This one-word praise is key because public acknowledgments for Deepti - from coaches, teammates or fans - are rare. If not non-existent, these acknowledgments rarely shed a deeper light into her game or pop up unless there is a single-handed contribution.

Deepti herself struggles to come up with layered responses to breaking down the mechanics of her game, often preferring to limit it to 'kuch zyaada alag karneka try nahi karti hoon'.

Amol Muzumdar, the current Indian head coach, compared her to Ben Stokes, the English all-rounder, for possessing a rapid throw and being the 'hardest working cricketer in the team who doesn't miss a match'. But many other former coaches who were approached with the question of 'what makes Deepti so effective' preferred to give the chat a pass.

Unlike praises, public criticisms have stood out - whether for her slow scoring, troubles with rotating the strike, or the inability to cover the field quickly. Moreover, as a bowler, she has her own quirks to disturb the rhythm of a game, none more prominent than aborting the run-up mid-way through her delivery, in all likelihood, intentionally.

For as effective as Deepti can be in sucking the opposition's momentum away with a few stingy overs or a wicket or two in the middle overs - and as game-turning as those spells can be - those unglamorous contributions rarely get airtime in post-match analysis. But, if in the same middle overs, she slows down the scoring rate with the bat, it's not easy to miss.

Over the years, she has found herself in the spotlight more often for going wrong in big moments - whether it was the inability to pinch the quick single against Australia in the 2025 World Cup semi-final or overstepping off the penultimate ball against South Africa in the must-win game in the 2022 World Cup.

But past the highlight reels there is more to Deepti.

Deepti doesn't set the pace of a contest, nor does she usually finish with a grand flourish. Her contributions are hidden in those uneventful dot balls - some beating the batter's edge, some flicked or worked towards a fielder in the inner-ring. Her biggest strength comes in soaking in the pressure and adjusting to the team's requirements; she is usually called upon to bail them out of a pressure situation.

This happens despite a limitation in skills.

Among the premier offspinners in international cricket, Deepti is neither the biggest turner of the ball nor does she get as much drift as most others (except Kavisha Dilhari). However, she is extremely effective because she is highly versatile, accurate in executing her stock delivery and smart in using her variations.

Deepti bowls effectively in all phases of play, is equally adept against both right-handers and left-handers, and is smart in varying her pace. Her quicker balls may not be really quick - a one-off delivery may clock 90kmph, but usually just about goes past the 84kmph mark. However, she can slow it down to as low as 69kmph. The variation in pace increases as the match progresses, the lengths keep getting fuller, and the drift significantly reduces.

Much of Deepti's success is owed to her constant evolution as a player. "I learn from every match where the errors are happening and where I can be better," Deepti said following her career best bowling performance against Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup. "I regularly talk to Avishkar [Salvi] sir about what always helps me; I watch my videos, so I think there is always learning from every match - it doesn't matter whether you are winning or not. You are considered a good player only when you think about how to improve even your good qualities."

In this quest for growth, 2022 proved to be an inflection point in her career; since then, she has been among the most prolific wicket-takers in women's international cricket, while still being stingy in conceding runs.

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(Before the start of the T20 World Cup)

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While Deepti has bowled across all phases, she has been especially good at the death overs as a wicket-taking option. She's the leading wicket taker in death overs in ODIs and the joint highest with Sophie Ecclestone in T20Is (before the start of the 2026 T20 World Cup).

Even as her lengths are usually fuller than most offspinners, her frequent use of arm balls - one in every five - and effective changes in pace ensure that batters rarely take the aggressive route against her. Over the last four years in T20 internationals, batters have played just as many forward defensive shots off her as they have slogswept her, even though the former has proven to be a highly risk-prone and unproductive option against Deepti.

Speaking on what changed in her bowling since 2022, Deepti told Cricbuzz about a unique method she uses during practise to improve her accuracy in lengths. "I train with five to six different balls - light, heavy, slightly heavy, small balls. I practise spot bowling with these different types of balls."

She claims there is a method to this madness. "It allows me to understand the differences with each ball. It's not just about hitting the lengths with leather balls. It helps me improve with accuracy. When you're able to land different types of balls (in size and weight) at the same spot with the same action and speed, it helps build your confidence as well. If you challenge yourself - which I enjoy doing whether it's with my batting or bowling - it helps you get better."

Deepti's bowling, which has now taken her on the cusp of being the most successful ever, is merely one half of her career story. In addition to that, she has also amassed over 4,000 runs in international cricket. It may not have come at an enviable strike rate, but as a batter, she has always been bankable to hold one end up.

Much like her bowling, she has displayed her versatility even as a batter - moving from an opener to playing the finisher's role, and everything in between. She has displayed her ability to counter pace, spin and swing with a solid technique, while also posting the highest individual score by an Indian in ODIs. Yet, her batting has been one skill which no coaching management has been quite able to exploit to its fullest potential.

But it's not anyone's fault. Despite all the obvious potential, the flaws are evident. She can be too slow to start out, which proves counter-productive in the powerplay. Or even if the openers do provide a strong start, it can suck the momentum out of the innings if she takes her time in the middle overs. Her inability to rotate strike easily and run hard between the wickets further adds to the pressure. Her game is not ideal for death-overs hitting either.

But, for all these years, despite the work she has put into improving her power-hitting game, her evolution has been slower than the evolution of international cricket itself. The drive to get better exists, and it's incredible how despite all that she has achieved within her limitations, there's still so much potential to tap into. No wonder she has been an essential cog in the Indian set-up that has transitioned from a middling team to one chasing world dominance.

The ceiling is evidently quite high for her potential, and still aged 28, she has enough time to alter the peak and garner recognition worthy of her contributions to the team.

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When the spotlight, for whatever little time came Deepti's way, it came with a packed schedule and an empty stomach.

One August Monday in 2023, Deepti, was in demand for interviews. As the most popular Indian face of UP Warriorz, she was tasked with responding to a host of media interview requests during the mid-season camp. It was the kind of attention that had missed her all along. Having jumped from one call to another before and after her long training sessions, she was exhausted and jaded by this uneventful activity.

"Jitne sawaal the sabne sab pooch liya," she said frustratedly. "Bas kisi ne yeh nahi poocha ke khaana khaya ke nahi."

Some things about being the essential, invisible one never quite change.