In the ever-evolving landscape of modern cricket, reinvention is a necessity – even for players as experienced as India’s Deepti Sharma.
The spin all-rounder burst onto the scene as an eager 17-year-old back in 2014, ready to shoulder responsibility. But over time, her form with the bat dipped, leading to a middling batting average, a drop down the order from No. 3 to No. 6 and below, and a waning influence in the middle overs.
However, across just a handful of games in the last few months, things began to shift – and the sweep shot, in all its variations, has emerged as the catalyst.
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Before the Tri-series against Sri Lanka and South Africa in Sri Lanka 2025, Deepti wasn’t heavily reliant on it. “Whenever there was a need for runs, she would prefer the slog sweep or a good, old slog. And most of the time, it did not come off right,” WV Raman, former coach of the Indian women’s cricket team, told Sportstar.
Leading up to the series, her strike rate while sweeping stood at 134.81, but she’d been dismissed eight times for an average of just 22.75.
“I always felt that Deepti was someone who was underperforming as a batter. She was capable of being a game-changer,” he said.
Colombo breakthrough
But something changed in the island nation. In the fourth group-stage match against South Africa, the left-hander joined forces with Jemimah Rodrigues in a much-needed display of middle-order prowess.
Perhaps inspired by Jemimah, a natural player of the sweep, Deepti began leaning on hers more often. She notched up her first fifty-plus score in 18 innings – a fluent 93 off 84 balls, with 25 runs coming off sweeps at a strike rate of 138.88.
It had unearthed a forgotten attacking dimension that Deepti possessed. And since April 2025, the 27-year-old has visibly sharpened her batting game.
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The sweep evolution
Across six ODIs since then, her attacking percentage has risen to 64.6 (up from 54), with notable gains in control (24.6% good connection from 9.6) and boundary percentage (9.82% from 5.59).
Much of that improvement is rooted in front-foot play, especially the usage of the sweep. Of the 234 balls she’s faced across those matches, she’s swept 57 deliveries (24%) for 74 of her 238 runs (31%), striking at 153.16 and averaging 60.50.
Additionally, Deepti’s stints at the Women’s Hundred and Women’s Premier League (WPL) showcased her emerging batting capabilities and an upward trend in her sweep shot employment.
For London Spirit in 2024 Hundred, she scored 212 runs at a strike rate of 160, with 22.6 per cent (48) of those runs coming off the sweep. In WPL 2024, she tallied 295 runs, with the sweep accounting for 21.3 per cent (63) – but it’s the 2025 season where her intent was clearest: 45 per cent of her 122 runs came via the sweep, at an incredible 189.65 strike rate.
She now ranks second among Indian batters for runs scored off the sweep — 80 runs (33.6%), just behind Jemimah Rodrigues with 88 (25.4%). The two joined forces again in the first ODI against England, stitching a 99-run stand to anchor India’s chase. Deepti finished unbeaten on 62 off 64 balls, with 18 runs (29%) off the sweep.
“I have worked on my sweep shots in my earlier days. On these pitches, it helps,” she said after her match-winning performance in Southampton.
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Her growing command of the shot is evident in her expanded leg-side range. Previously, 66.3 per cent of her runs came on the on-side; that figure has now climbed to 75.1 per cent. Behind square, the change is even more striking – from 27.6 per cent to 39.4 per cent.
“Her batting was always a facet of her cricket that needed attention. She needed to be a lot more enterprising in her batting, and unlock a more aggressive, positive and intentful side,” said Raman, who coached the Women in Blue for over two years and has seen Deepti emerge as one of India’s key players over the years.
From utility to match-winner
“For someone who has played at just about every position over a long period of time without the threat of getting dropped, she hadn’t really assured a place for herself. That has happened now,” remarked Raman.
With India hosting the Women’s Cricket World Cup later this year, Deepti’s reinvention could not have come at a better time. Her sweep shot, once a risky afterthought, is now a reliable run-making weapon – and possibly her sharpest one on the biggest stage.
