India’s Deepti Sharma took centre stage in the fourth women’s T20I against South Africa on Saturday. Her bowling exploded at just the right moment - 5 wickets for 19 runs, a personal best. While others struggled, she held firm with the bat too, finishing strong on 36 not out. Because of her dual role, India scraped past by 14 runs. One player changed everything, quietly steering her team home.

South Africa had a 3-0 grip on the series, closing in on another win after limiting India to 185 for five. Yet everything shifted when Deepti found rhythm with her bowling, breaking partnerships at key moments during the middle overs. Her consistent strikes slowed the run flow, pushing the host team into trouble until they stumbled to 171 for nine.

Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance turns the tide

South Africa pushed hard at the start. Sune Luus scored 40, Tazmin Brits reached 30, their partnership adding 54 for the second wicket. Once Laura Wolvaardt fell to pacer Kranti Goud, Luus began swinging danger into every shot. Right when things heated up, Deepti struck, bowling Luus clean, and that single act snapped the spine of the innings. From there, everything tilted toward India. Momentum had changed.

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Bouncing back fast, she tore into the heart of the lineup, toppling Dercksen first. A sharp turn caught Reyneke plumb. Then came Sekhukhune, beaten in flight and stumped. Khaka followed soon after, trapped leg before. Control stayed firmly at her fingertips.

India struggled to build rhythm even though multiple batters reached double figures. Shafali Verma exited quickly; meanwhile, Anushka Sharma, stepping in for Smriti Mandhana, scored 23. After fifteen overs, they sat at four wickets down, needing calm heads. That balance arrived when Harmanpreet Kaur struck 22, and Jemimah Rodrigues posted 43 during their fifty-five partnership.

Jemimah Rodrigues lit things up, clobbering Mlaba for 24 in one over. Right when momentum seemed locked in, wickets tumbled - first Rodrigues, then Harmanpreet, both gone fast. Near the end, Deepti swung hard, making 36 from 26 balls, while Richa Ghosh chipped in sharply with 34 off 18. Together they held firm, adding 65 without losing another, as 56 runs flooded in during the last five. The scoreboard finally settled on something tough to chase.