Deepti Sharma scored an unbeaten 106 off 83 balls to propel India to a commanding 328/6 against Zimbabwe
She forged a crucial 152-run fifth-wicket partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur (126) following an early Indian collapse
Deepti became the first Indian woman to hit an ODI century from No. 6 or lower, breaking Richa Ghosh's previous record of 94
Deepti Sharma has been India’s most dependable all-rounder for years, and on Sunday she became their most unlikely record-setter. She reached her second ODI hundred off 83 balls against Zimbabwe and finished unbeaten on 106, lifting India to 328 for six.
The innings began in trouble. Smriti Mandhana was gone for a duck in the first over and Shafali Verma followed soon after, leaving India 19/2. Pratika Rawal and Harmanpreet Kaur rebuilt, but when Tejal Hasabnis fell at 148/4, India were a long way from a big total.
Deepti joined Harmanpreet and the pair added 152 for the fifth wicket. Harmanpreet, dropped three times, made 126 before falling at 300. Deepti was on 92 and had to finish the job. Richa Ghosh, then Sayali Satghare, kept her company. She began the 49th over on 97, and her hundred came two balls into it, with a boundary off Tendai Makusha.
The milestone matters for what it says about this team. No Indian woman had scored an ODI hundred at No. 6 or lower before Sunday. The previous best was Richa Ghosh’s 94 against South Africa in Vizag last year, a score that fell six short. For a side that has long leaned on its top order, Deepti’s hundred shows that India’s depth can now win matches, not just rescue them.
