My message to all young girls is to keep dreaming big: Cricketer Deepti Sharma

MUMBAI: India’s star all-rounder and member of the World Cup-winning women’s cricket team, Deepti Sharma, shared an inspiring message for the youth.

Deepti, who was adjudged the Player of the Tournament, played a pivotal role in the final with a brilliant all-round display.

“My message to all young girls is to keep dreaming big. They should be supported by their families so that they too can make the nation proud,” Deepti said. She was speaking at the Global Peace Honours 2025 event.

In the summit clash, Deepti first anchored India’s innings with a composed 58 off 58 balls, providing stability at a crucial stage. She then followed it up with a sensational spell of bowling, claiming 5/39 to dismantle South Africa and guide India to the title.

In this tournament, she scored 215 runs in seven innings with three fifties and took 22 wickets. Saving her absolute lethal for the last, she hit a run-a-ball half-century and took a game-changing five-wicket haul in the final against South Africa.

A massive reason for Deepti’s success with the bat was an uptick in strike rate over the years, from 62.26 in 2023 to 75.30 last year and currently at 98.16 this year.

Before this, a major feather in Deepti’s cap was the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award for UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, with 295 runs in eight innings, including three fifties, a strike rate of over 136, and 10 wickets at an average of over 21. She termed that season as one very important to her as she was often promoted up the order to number three and four. (ANI)