News
21 April 2026
Deepti Sharma arrived in South Africa on the back of a stellar 2025 – Wisden’s leading female player, leading wicket-taker at the ODI World Cup and decisive with the bat in that final. Yet, five T20Is into 2026, the figures look stark: four innings, three runs, one wicket.
India’s all-rounder went for 24 off 13 balls in the opening match at Kingsmead and, though slightly tidier second time round, still finished wicket-less. With fewer than eight weeks to the T20 World Cup, the obvious question is whether the slump matters.
“Deepti is a champion player. We all know that. One or two games or three games doesn’t justify the kind of talent she has, the kind of performance she has done over the years. We all know that she has been a champion player. Champion bowler, champion batter, champion all-rounder throughout her career,” Aavishkar Salvi, India’s bowling coach, said at the Wanderers ahead of matches three and four.
“This is the stage where she is probably not at her best as of now. But going back to the drawing board, she is working hard in the camp. She is working hard on her fitness. She is also working hard on her bowling in the nets. She is always there taking up those challenges where she is also bowling against the batter. She is also doing target bowling practice. And she is discussing all her game plans, what she wants to use during the games. It’s only a matter of a few instances where probably she just strikes and she comes back shining.”
India’s concerns go wider than one player. South Africa have eased to 2-0 up, winning by six wickets and four wickets respectively. The hosts needed the last over to chase 158 in Durban but required only 17 balls fewer to reach 148 two nights later. Across both fixtures India managed just six wickets, while South Africa removed 17 Indian batters.
Spin, usually India’s strength, has lacked bite. Pace hasn’t stepped in either. Renuka Singh and Kashvee Gautam were expensive in game one (a combined 0 for 54 from six overs) and made way for Kranti Gaud and Anuksha Sharma. The newcomers also finished wicket-less. Salvi remains philosophical.
“There are a lot of combinations being tried out in terms of who will bowl in the powerplay and what are our options. We are just creating an option bank for all of us,” he explained.
The shift to the Highveld should, in theory, assist the quicker bowlers. Johannesburg and Centurion traditionally offer more pace and bounce than coastal Durban. Renuka, who still spearheads the attack on reputation, has found movement at altitude in the past; India may need that familiarity now. Gaud, quick through the air, could also benefit if selected again, though control remains a work in progress.
South Africa, meanwhile, look settled. Laura Wolvaardt’s authority at the top and Marizanne Kapp’s all-round punch have allowed Nadine de Klerk and Ayanda Hlubi to bowl with freedom. Where India leaked boundaries at the death, the Proteas have hit the blockhole consistently. Assistant coach Salieg Nackerdien praised a “collective calmness” after the second win – a trait India must rediscover.
There is precedent for Deepti bouncing back quickly. In last year’s tri-series in New Zealand she went wicket-less in the first two games, then took 3 for 16 in the final. Her value is also tactical: left-arm angle, canny changes of pace, and the ability to close overs without drama when in rhythm. The challenge is regaining that rhythm before the World Cup, not during it.
Harmanpreet Kaur has so far resisted major changes, insisting the players who dominated 2025 deserve time. The captain, though, hinted after game two that “clarity will come in Johannesburg,” suggesting selection may soon tighten. Deepti, at least publicly, retains full backing.
For now India train, tweak and wait. Two matches at altitude offer a chance to reset the tour narrative and, crucially, to confirm which bowlers travel to Bangladesh in June. A return to form for Deepti Sharma would solve one piece of the puzzle; the rest of the attack must supply the others.
