NAVI MUMBAI: “Dekhiye, hum UP waale bahaut simple rehte hai (See, we people from Uttar Pradesh are simple in nature).” Former India spinner Neetu David jokes when asked about Deepti Sharma’s persona on and off the field.
When Sharma takes the field for India, there is a ferocious aggression she brings to the table, not just with her bowling but by her mere presence. Off the field, the off-spinner, the leading wicket-taker for India at this World Cup, comes across as someone calm, doesn’t reveal specifics about her cricketing plans behind the scenes and quietly goes about her business.
But not many know Sharma better than former chief selector David. As someone who has watched Sharma grow up, the former left-arm spinner feels the contrast can be a strength. “I am telling you from whatever I have seen of her childhood days. Not long after she started playing cricket, she used to train with a lot of us Indian players — myself, Hemalata Kala, Nooshin Al Khadeer, and Mithali Raj. Maybe that helped her become mature at a very young age,” David tells this daily. “Training with established players, leading teams like UP and Bengal, which have established players, all gives a big boost to the player’s confidence,” she adds.
It did help that Sharma broke into the Indian team as a teenager and has been an integral part of the set-up for almost a decade now. She was there when India crumbled in the 2017 World Cup final against England at Lord’s. She was also at the centre of it all in the heartbreaking loss against South Africa during the 2022 WC in Christchurch.
