On Sunday, October 25, 2026, Deepti Sharma marked her return to ODI centuries with an unbeaten 106 in Vadodara as India defeated Zimbabwe by 121 runs in a series-clinching match. The 29-year-old's second ODI hundred came after a gap of nine years and five months. The victory gave India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with the final encounter scheduled for October 28, 2026.
Deepti's innings featured 15 boundaries and proved instrumental in India's total of 328 for 9. However, when reflecting on her performance, the all-rounder stressed that the partnership she built with Harmanpreet Kaur held greater significance than the personal milestone. Early wickets had fallen after Pratika Rawal's contribution of 61, leaving India in a precarious position when Deepti arrived at the crease.
"I believed in my hard work that I would get it sooner or later. And I think more than the 100, what was on my mind was how we can build a partnership in that situation. So that was it," Deepti said in the post-match press conference as quoted by The Hindu.
Why did partnership matter more than the milestone?
The context for Deepti's approach became clear when she described the match situation. Because early wickets fell after Pratika Rawal and Harmanpreet Kaur's partnership, the team needed stability in the middle order.
"Because we lost early wickets after Pratika (Rawal) and Harry di's (Harmanpreet Kaur) partnership. That was the mindset and obviously the 100 is special. And it's been a long time since I came here (Vadodara), so it feels good," said Deepti.
How did Harmanpreet's composure influence Deepti's approach?
Harmanpreet Kaur, the former India captain, played a composed innings of 126 off 121 balls, earning the player of the match award. The two batters combined for a 153-run stand for the fifth wicket, a record partnership at that position. Deepti observed Harmanpreet's approach closely and recognised the quality of her batting during their crucial partnership.
"She (Harmanpreet) was looking very relaxed and composed. She was playing on merit. And she was looking very good at that time. And when I went in, I thought that we have to build a partnership," said Deepti.
What was Deepti's batting strategy in the middle overs?
Once at the crease, Deepti adopted an aggressive approach when opportunities presented themselves. She capitalised on loose deliveries while maintaining the partnership's stability with her senior partner. Her 15 boundaries reflected this intent to strike when the situation demanded it.
"...whatever balls were coming in my radar, I was trying to convert them into a boundary," said Deepti.
When asked about Zimbabwe's bowling performance, Deepti deflected credit from the opposition and instead highlighted India's collective effort. This reflected her focus on team contributions rather than individual opposition weaknesses.
"...I think all the bowlers did a good job. In fact, the whole team gave a good performance," said Deepti.
Deepti attributed her mental approach to avoiding overthinking during matches. This approach allowed her to remain flexible and responsive to match conditions rather than fixating on personal milestones.
"The more you think, the more you can't work. So, whenever I go to the pitch, I play according to the situation. When I went to bat, I didn't think about 100 or 50. I just wanted to play till the last ball and take the team to a good total. This was my mindset," said Deepti.
Beyond cricket strategy, Deepti credited her faith as a grounding force in her career. For Deepti, the combination of dedicated preparation and spiritual conviction shaped her approach to high-pressure situations. Her maiden ODI hundred came in May 2017 against South Africa, an unbeaten 188 off 160 balls, making Sunday's century a significant milestone after nearly a decade.
"The biggest thing is that I have a lot of faith in God. I have a lot of faith in Lord Hanuman. What can be a bigger blessing than that for me? And whatever you do in the practice session every day, it definitely helps you in the match. So, this is my mindset," said Deepti.
