Deepti Sharma rebuilt her game from the ground up, and the numbers show it

From a wasted innings to a changed player

On April 1, 2021, Railways cruised to a six-wicket win over Bengal in their chase of 251 in the domestic one-day championship. The only bright spot for Bengal had been Deepti Sharma's 148-ball 113 against an attack full of international-level bowlers. Yet Bengal coach Charanjeet Singh was blunt: it was Deepti, the batter, who had let the team down. For as long as she was in the middle, he had watched her pass up scoring chances, and an extra 25 to 30 runs from her could have made the contest far more competitive.

At first, Deepti was defensive, believing Railways' bowlers had simply tied her down. But over the following months, she began to face the same truth herself. Shuffled up and down the national batting order, she was struggling to keep pace with the rapidly rising standards of women's international batting.

The limitations that kept her in limbo

Deepti had made her debut as a 17-year-old and adapted quickly. In 2017, she scored 188 against Ireland, still an Indian record. Her compact technique and ability to handle spin, pace and movement made her an ideal top-order option. But as the power game took hold over the next half-decade, her weaknesses were exposed. She was a slow starter and a slow runner between the wickets, and she lacked a power game.

She was moved to every position from No. 1 to No. 9 in ODIs without a clear answer on where she fit best. Her slow running often forced other middle-order batters into riskier strokes, and the momentum of innings was frequently lost while she was at the crease. Without a power game, her batting carried little weight lower down, and India lost the depth that she was supposed to provide.

Seeking a fix

Deepti sought out Charanjeet with a specific request: work on her bat speed, and on lifting and pulling the short ball. The sessions began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Charanjeet also targeted her off-side game, particularly the cut shot and hitting through the mid-off region.

His methods were unconventional. He had trained Richa Ghosh since she was 13 and understood power hitting, but Deepti lacked a similar body type or natural strength. So he had her practise range-hitting with hockey balls, tennis balls and other variations. "Playing with the hockey ball helps improve ball speed," he explained. "In a match, bowlers can vary their pace. My aim is to get them to hit it for a six, irrespective of the pace or the bounce, and negate the element of surprise."

The same philosophy applied to her bowling. She practised with balls of different sizes and weights, including stones, and one drill involved bowling through the gap of a tyre. "One aspect of that was to ensure that she developed the skill and the accuracy, but more importantly, it also helps build the confidence that she can get the job done irrespective of what she bowls with."

Results on the scoreboard

The changes showed up in her numbers. In ODIs, her bowling average improved from 31.25 before June 2022 to 24.30 since, and her wickets return rose from 81 to 85 in the same spans. In T20Is, her batting strike rate climbed from 90.21 before June 2022 to 121.90 since, while her bowling average dropped from 20.86 to 17.09 and her wickets tally rose from 60 to 129.

Charanjeet credits Deepti's drive more than any method. "Her biggest strength is that she doesn't give up," he said. "She wants to win all the matches, and has a drive to constantly develop. She loves taking challenges, whether it's batting or bowling." He recalled that she trains even in the rain, laying out a plastic sheet to practise fielding so she does not get hurt if she slips.

At the national team, she is often among the last to leave the nets, and she regularly becomes the go-to bowler for head coach Amol Muzumdar's late batting warm-ups.

Still a work in progress

Deepti is not yet a finished product. Now usually batting at No. 7 as a power-hitter, she is far from the most dangerous lower-order basher in the world, though her effectiveness in the role has improved drastically. Her off-side game is better, but still has limitations. Charanjeet acknowledges the gaps. "While playing, you tend to make minor mistakes. When you keep tracking those minor flaws, it goes a long way," he said. He pointed to her stance, which sometimes becomes too low or leaves the bat too far from her body, and to arm speed that drops while bowling.

For now, the ceiling appears far higher than where she currently sits, as her critical performances for India and UP Warriorz show.