Stats: How Deepti Sharma rose to the top of the wicket charts in women's internationals

Deepti Sharma reached the pinnacle of women's international cricket at Lord's, becoming the highest wicket-taker in the history of the women's game. The milestone came when she dismissed Australia's Beth Mooney during India's Women's T20 World Cup 2026 clash, a scalp that took her past the long-standing record held by India's own fast-bowling legend, Jhulan Goswami.

Even though the match ended in a heartbreaking defeat and exit for India, the moment belonged to one of the modern game's finest all-rounders. Here is a look at the numbers behind Deepti's climb to the very top.

The record-breaking moment

Deepti had entered the game needing just one wicket to move clear of Goswami. She got it in the 10th over of Australia's chase, bowling a full delivery on the stumps that drew Mooney out for a slog-sweep. The mistimed shot ballooned to long-on, where Radha Yadav completed a simple catch.

It was the 356th international wicket of Deepti's career, taking her past Goswami's mark of 355 and making her the outright leader on the all-time list. The match was also her 278th international appearance for India.

Breaking down the 356

Deepti's tally is built on remarkable consistency across all three formats. Her 356 wickets comprise 22 in six Tests, 166 in 124 One-Day Internationals, and 168 in 148 Twenty20 Internationals — a spread that underlines her value as a genuine all-format performer.

That T20I haul is itself a world record. The off-spinner is the leading wicket-taker in the history of Women's T20 Internationals, a format in which she has long been India's standout slow bowler. In ODIs, her 166 wickets place her second only to Goswami's 255 among Indian women.

Surpassing a legend

The record Deepti broke belonged to a true pioneer. Goswami, who retired in 2022, finished her illustrious career with 355 wickets across 284 matches — 44 in Tests, 255 in ODIs and 56 in T20Is — and was long regarded as the gold standard for India's bowlers.

Strikingly, no other woman in the history of the game has even reached 340 international wickets, underlining just how far clear Deepti and Goswami sit from the rest of the field.

The chasing pack

Behind the two Indians on the all-time list are some of the biggest names in women's cricket. England's Katherine Sciver-Brunt sits third on 335 wickets, with Australia's Ellyse Perry and England spinner Sophie Ecclestone close behind, and South Africa's express pacelery Shabnim Ismail also among the leading wicket-takers.

The presence of so many active bowlers in that group points to a fiercely competitive era — but for now, it is Deepti who stands alone at the summit.

A standout World Cup campaign

Deepti's march to the record was set up by a strong personal tournament. She announced herself in India's opening match against Pakistan in Birmingham with a five-wicket haul, before adding further contributions against the Netherlands and Bangladesh to draw level with Goswami's mark.

There was a brief wait for the record-breaker, as she went wicketless against South Africa and Bangladesh in the games that followed, before finally getting over the line with that lone, historic strike against Australia.

The final word

For all the disappointment of India's group-stage exit, Deepti Sharma's achievement is one to be celebrated — a testament to longevity, skill and adaptability across formats and conditions. At the home of cricket, she moved to the top of a list that will define her legacy, cementing her place among the greatest bowlers women's cricket has produced.