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Deepti Sharma enjoyed a memorable Women’s World Cup 2025, emerging as India’s Most Valuable Player in what turned out to be a triumphant campaign for Harmanpreet Kaur and co. The experienced all-rounder won the Player of the Tournament accolade after she became the first player in the history of women’s cricket to achieve the double of 200-plus runs and 20-plus wickets in a single edition of the World Cup. In the eight-team tournament, the 28-year-old amassed 215 runs, including three half-centuries. And she didn’t stop there. With the ball, Deepti delivered two four-wicket hauls to round off a standout campaign.
Deepti emerged as the biggest clutch player for India in the tournament, and hence, it comes as no surprise that the women’s team coach, Amol Muzumdar, had only glowing things to say about the all-rounder.
Speaking to veteran sports journalist and HT columnist, Sharda Ugra, at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2025, Muzumdar revealed that he refers to Deepti as ‘Stokesy’. He then drew parallels between Deepti and England’s Test captain Ben Stokes, a comparison shaped by his close observation of Stokes during his stint with the Rajasthan Royals from 2017 to 2020 in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“Stokes, because there are a lot of similarities, isn’t it? I mean, I worked a little bit with Ben Stokes with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. There are a few similarities with Deepti. She bats left-handed, she bowls right-handed, Stokes does that. She bats at number 6; Stokes does that. Most hard-working cricketer in the team,” said Muzumdar.
“Never misses a match, Stokes doesn’t miss a match. And above all, I think her throw resembles Ben Stokes’. Come and catch her throw once,” he added.
In the World Cup final against South Africa at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Deepti produced a sensational all-round performance, scoring 58 and returning figures of 5/39. With that, she became the first player across men’s and women’s cricket to score a half-century and take a five-wicket haul in an ODI knockout match. She is also the first to achieve this double in a Women’s World Cup game.
Deepti’s five-for made her only the second player to claim a five-wicket haul in a Women’s World Cup final, following England’s Anya Shrubsole, who took 6/46 in the 2017 title clash against India at Lord’s.
How does Deepti like to prepare?
Muzumdar also highlighted Deepti’s exceptional work ethic, praising the meticulous preparation the all-rounder puts in ahead of every competitive game.
“You know one thing about Deepti is the way she will respond in a match. She does exactly those things in her practice sessions. Sometimes you just have to pull her back a little bit. As a coach, Deepti, you know, it’s just a practice session. Don’t expend all your energy here,” said Muzumdar.
“But she expends that energy, that intensity. She has exactly the same thing that she will have in a match. And that’s why the match is just a reflection of what she does outside in the practice session,” he added.
Speaking about India’s World Cup campaign, the team opened with wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan before hitting a major roadblock, suffering three straight defeats to South Africa, Australia and England. India then scraped through to the semifinals with a crucial group-stage victory over New Zealand.
In the semifinal, India outclassed seven-time champions Australia, successfully chasing down a record 338. And in the final, Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa proved no match for a surging Indian side.
