"I always take every opportunity as a challenge" - Deepti Sharma's words a true reflection of what works for the all-rounder
Deepti Sharma is ready to break for lunch after a good morning's work in Bengaluru. The vice-captain of the UP Warriorz (UPW) is the biggest marquee name present as part of a camp organized by the Women's Premier League (WPL) franchise in the city in the first half of August.
As the senior player within the team, Deepti has plenty of responsibility upon her to show the way. Once she's done with her session, though, she walks out wearing a pair of shades on a sunny afternoon and sports a big smile while taking some time out for a candid conversation.
It's a fair reflection of Deepti, the cricketer. She is confident and at ease, more so for someone who almost always bats and bowls in the crunch moments. It is this composure that has seen her establish herself as India's premier all-rounder and one of the best in the women's game today.
The journey has been an extremely fruitful one for the Agra-born all-rounder, who made her international bow as a teenager in 2014. She took a moment to look back at the journey with pride in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda:
"It definitely feels really good because every player’s dream is to play for India for a number of years. I feel very proud and my family also feels very proud. This is the motivation I get from every series and innings to keep doing even better so that I can take the team to the top. As a player this is my role and that’s how I think," says Deepti.
That motive of taking the team to the summit remains her primary objective, irrespective of which team she's representing. She didn't have the greatest of campaigns for the UP Warriorz during the inaugural edition of the tournament in March this year, but her excitement and anticipation towards the league were expectedly high.
A sense of being part of a family is what you deduce from her words when Deepti looks back at that experience:
"When the auction started - we were playing the T20 World Cup in South Africa - it felt really good because we always watch the men’s auction and when it was happening for us we were very excited for that moment. We were waiting for the WPL to start and when it finally began it felt really nice. The UP team is really good - the best part is we back each other. The franchise is really good and takes care of everyone. I think that gives us a lot of positivity to do well," says Deepti.
Deepti Sharma - of leadership and being ready for challenges
As mentioned earlier, there is always a sense of calm and ease when Deepti is going about her work. It's not hard to miss it when you consider that she largely operates in the most tense situations - be it with the bat or the ball.
She considers every opportunity as a challenge as she delves further into her responsibility as vice-captain of the UP Warriorz. It's no surprise, then, that she appears composed under pressure out in the middle.
"I always take every opportunity as a challenge. I always want to do well for my team and contribute in all three departments. And when I contribute I make sure that the team wins. This is always my mindset towards the team," says Deepti.
She had the opportunity to pick up the tricks of the trade from Alyssa Healy, who was her skipper at the Warriorz and someone she has faced a lot of in the international arena.
"It was nice - whenever we had meetings or discussions on the ground we used to communicate really well. There was no problem in that. We always used to think of how we can improve the team even better. During bowling changes I learnt what her thought process is like and which bowler she uses at what time. The way they (the Australian team) use their players is slightly different so I learnt that and the experience of working with her was good."
"We just enjoyed each and every moment" - Deepti Sharma on the UP Warriorz camaraderie
Diving further into the team and the fact that they had to convene right after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in South Africa, Deepti showers praise on the UP Warriorz franchise and how they kept the team intact.
While she knew some of the international players well beforehand, it was forming that camaraderie with the domestic players in such a short time span that was the key - one that the franchise made very easy for her and the entire team.
"Personally I have played leagues around the world so I knew the overseas players pretty well. I didn’t know the domestic players that well but thanks to the franchise and the way they kept us together, it never felt as though any of the junior players were new. We were just one family. That’s how it felt. We just enjoyed each and every moment. Whenever we had an off day we used to either watch a movie or take part in a team activity and we used to enjoy them a lot."
The player auction in parallel with the T20 World Cup, the pre-season preparation and the campaign itself covered no more than six weeks. It was all crammed together in a very limited frame, with the gap leading into the next season being much, much longer.
That's where Deepti reckons that regular player camps such as the aforementioned ones get the youngsters in the setup better equipped for match situations.
"These camps are very important because the young players get to learn and gain experience with the senior players. The more the camps we have, the players will get used to playing in match situations. The players will keep improving more with a lot of these camps. So I think these things matter a lot in order to do better in the future," reckons Deepti.
The growing cry for the WPL came to life earlier this year. Surely this is the stepping stone towards India becoming the next powerhouse on the field in the women's game as well?
"Absolutely, I’m sure. There are a lot of T20 matches now and the WPL has also arrived. This is really good for women’s cricket and I feel that this will go to the next level," declares Deepti.
"You will see it very soon" - Deepti Sharma confident of India's gold medal chances at the Asian Games
Deepti hasn't played a competitive game since the tour of Bangladesh in July. Yet, her mindset in the nets is all about being prepared for any game situation that comes her way.
It's archetypal of an all-phase bowler such as herself, and she attributes it to be a major factor behind her success in the death overs in particular.
"I’ve started bowling with a variety of different balls, be it the Kookaburra ball, the tennis ball or the smaller one. I’ve bowled in different scenarios with different types of balls and that has helped me a lot. I’ve also bowled with the new ball. Now my mindset is ready that I can be given the ball at any moment. So it’s not as though I need to take time and think as though ‘if I get the ball now how do I bowl?’ - I am always ready for any situation. I think those practice sessions have helped my bowling," saysDeepti.
All those practice sessions and visualizations of different scenarios will be pivotal when she next dons the India blue in Hangzhou, China for the Asian Games.
India fell agonizingly short at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year, settling for silver despite finding themselves in a position of strength in the gold-medal clash against Australia.
Deepti is bullish about India's chances this time around. She reckons that the players of a billion-plus fans in the country will be answered soon.
"At the Commonwealth Games we missed out by a small margin. But I’m sure we’re improving series by series and the gold isn’t too far away. The gold that everyone is hoping for, you will see it very soon!"
Her confidence has played a massive part in her journey to success so far. Deepti Sharma's thirsty for much more, though. She has only gotten started, and the resolve that reflects in her words is bound to take her and the Indian team towards greater heights.
Also read: Deepti Sharma's 3 best moments for India