Deepti Sharma creates history as first Indian to take WPL hat-trick

UP Warriorz's Deepti Sharma became the first Indian to pick up a hat-trick at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in Delhi on Friday. (Photo: X)

Deepti Sharma became the first India to pick up a hat-trick at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) during her side UP Warriorz’s one-run victory in the edge-of-the-seat thriller against the table-leading Delhi Capitals on Friday evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The 26-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder achieved the feat, first accomplished at the WPL by England quick Issy Wong last year, across two overs. First, she bowled Capitals captain Meg Lanning in the last ball of the 14th over and then struck twice – bowling Annabel Sutherland and having Arundhati Reddy caught by Grace Harris – off back-to-back balls at the start of the 19th over.

“I feel very proud,” Deepti told WPLT20.com after the match. ”Players wait for moments like these to make their fans and families proud. When you win crucial matches for your team from such dire situations, people get to know you, they chant your name and the experience gives off a lot of positive vibes. It feels great and one feels more motivated to perform even better.

“We were controlling our nerves because in one of our practice matches in a pre-WPL 2024 camp, we had been in the same match situation, so we held onto our belief in ourselves and that if we could win that game, we could win this one, too. All the 11 players in the side were very positive even when the equation read: two runs needed off four balls. We just kept believing we could win it from there.”

The hat-trick was just one element of Deepti’s multi-dimensional efficacy against the Capitals. Earlier in the night, she was promoted to No. 3 and struck a crucial 48-ball 59 to lift her side to 138 for 8. Add to that her match figures of 4 for 19, which made her the first player at the WPL to hit a half-century and take a hat-trick, no less in a virtual must-win game for the Warriorz in order to keep their playoffs hopes alive, the night truly became a memorable one for Deepti.

“She scored a hat-trick? Did she?” Harris asked the six journalists in attendance at the post-match press conference on Friday. “A hat- trick and a fifty in the same game? Ah that’s very well played, Deepti. I didn’t realise that at all. We’ll definitely be celebrating that with her with cake. A lot of cake. Actually, she’s going to get a full cake to the face tonight to celebrate that.

“I think Deepti’s having a really good tournament with the bat. She’s really trying to step up and up the strike rate. She’s got the playing shots, for us it’s about encouraging her on when to play them. I’ve enjoyed seeing her on the field and how she’s gone about her game this season. It’s been much improved with the bat, in particular. Bowling-wise she’s been very consistent."