Before boarding the train from Agra to Mumbai, Deepti Sharma’s brother, Sumit Sharma, had a word with the India all-rounder. The heartbreaks of the past came up, of course, but Deepti made a promise… come what may, she’ll not let the World Cup trophy out of India’s grasp.
“Before the final, she made a commitment to me. ‘Bhaiya, we have already reached the finals twice. Especially in 2017, we were just 9 runs away from winning the World Cup. Whatever I do, I will put in my 100% effort, and I will not let this trophy go from India, kuch bhi ho jaye.’ Even before the final, she told me the same thing… with the bat or ball or on the field, whatever I can. And as we met on the field, she said: ‘Bhaiya, mein apne promise poora kiya na?’ She did what she promised,” Sumit told The Indian Express.
India’s 3D star
And then some. One of the mantras that Sumit and Deepti keep reiterating to each other is that, as a proper elite all-rounder can play one match three times, figuratively. In the final, Deepti, the batter, scored a crucial 58-ball 58 that took India close to the 300 mark. Deepti, the fielder, effected a run out with that bullet throw of hers that took India one step closer to the win. Deepti, the bowler, was the star of the show as she picked up 5/39, including the key wickets of centurion Laura Wolvaardt and a well-set Annerie Dercksen. And of course, her dipping low full toss to Nadine de Klerk that nestled into the hands of Harmanpreet Kaur will be replayed over and over for years to come as India won the World Cup.
“I started playing cricket because of my brother. He made a lot of sacrifices for me; he left his job so that I could pursue my dream. On such a stage, in front of family, to perform well and lift the trophy feels truly special,” Deepti told ICC, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Sumit, who had tears in his eyes. It was vindication for the decision to leave his corporate job and become a full-time mentor to Deepti more than a decade ago.
It brought back memories for Sumit. The entire journey played out in his mind as he got onto the field and joined the celebrations with other friends and families. “I consider myself beyond lucky that, because of my sister, I could touch the World Cup trophy and click photos holding the Indian flag alongside Deepti. The most unforgettable moments of my life,” Sumit said.
“When I decided to quit my job, I didn’t know when Deepti would play for India, how many years she would play, or if she would ever play in the World Cup. I only knew one thing, that I had to do everything in my power so that she could play for India one day. After that, God took us beyond our dreams. Jab aap poori shiddhat se, poori mann se kisi kaam karte hain (When you do something with all your heart and mind), destiny will be with you.”
Switch to spin
Deepti’s journey had begun with a throw of the ball, all those years ago, when she followed her brother around to matches. Sumit considers her fielding to be the most natural facet, as she has shown over the years with her ability to throw down the stumps from anywhere on the field. With bowling, Sumit encouraged her to take up spin instead of medium pace, and she has worked hard on the craft to become one of the best offies in the world. She finished the World Cup as the leading wicket-taker. It is with the bat that she has made vast improvements in the last year or so and continued demonstrating that at the tournament with three fifties.
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Before the World Cup, during a conversation at their home in Agra with this daily, Sumit received a phone call from his elder brother. India were taking on Australia in the second ODI in New Chandigarh, and the match was playing in the background. That day, Jemimah Rodrigues – who was the No. 5 batter usually then – wasn’t in the XI due to illness. ‘Radhe radhe, brother. I am speaking to someone from the media.’ ‘Oh great, Accha haan, I saw she might bat up the order today?’ ‘Haan Jemimah is not playing today. She might play at No. 5 today?’ ‘That is very exciting. I will call you later.’
“When she gets to bat slightly higher up in the order, there is a better chance to get set and take the match deep. Coming in lower down the order, this is a tough situation,” Sumit then said. No. 5 is where she batted in the big final and took India to a match-winning total, and finished the day as the first-ever player in the history of ICC Women’s World Cup to score a fifty and take a five-for in one match.
