EXCLUSIVE: From Asian Games Gold To Olympic Gold: Deepti Sharma’s Next Target

Fresh off a match-sealing three-wicket haul in India's 147-run demolition of Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Deepti Sharma sat down with myKhel's Avinash Sharma to reflect on the gold medal, her role in the side, and what comes next on the road to the Olympics.

Asked about following up her Commonwealth Games silver with back-to-back Asian Games success, and how the team is preparing for the Olympics, Deepti didn't hesitate before pointing to what this particular gold means. "I think we have prepared very well. We are improving day by day, match by match as a team. It feels good to see this.

"The biggest thing is that we have won the first gold medal in 2026 as a team. It feels very good. I hope we win the gold medal in the Olympics too."

Deepti Sharma On Being Called the Team's Backbone

Deepti's all-round influence in this final was undeniable - Smriti Mandhana's 79 powered India to 216/3, the highest-ever total in women's cricket at the Asian Games, before Deepti's 3/6 off four overs, including a maiden, tore through Sri Lanka's chase and bowled them out for just 69.

Asked what she considers the best part of her game given how consistently she delivers across batting, bowling, and fielding, she framed it entirely around team impact rather than personal statistics. "I always think about how I can contribute. In all my departments, whether it is batting, bowling or fielding, I always think about how I can take the team out of difficulties. The more I try to improve, the more I want the team to win matches.

"When I perform well, it is always impactful for the team. I feel good when the team wins matches."

Deepti Sharma Credits the Bowling Unit for a Difficult Track

On the conditions in Japan, Deepti was quick to acknowledge just how demanding the surface was for bowlers, even as India's batters piled on runs. "It was more of a batting track, as we saw in all three games. I think all the bowlers get credit for this. It is a bit challenging when you bowl as a bowling unit.

"Everyone executed their plans properly. This is the result. It was a team performance. The batters and bowlers did their job. The entire team performed well at the end."

The Numbers Behind the Performance

Deepti's 3/6 in the final, dismissing Chamari Athapaththu for 27, Kavisha Dilhari for 11, and Sugandika Kumari for 3, extends an already remarkable record.

As WT20I history's leading wicket-taker, she now sits at 189 scalps from 157 matches at an average of 18.17 and an economy of 6.21. Against Sri Lanka specifically, she's taken 27 wickets across 23 matches at 16.66, while this calendar year alone has produced 37 wickets from 24 games at an average of just 14.78 - numbers that make her final-day heroics look less like a peak and more like business as usual.