Deepti Sharma, born to Sushilaa and Bhagwan Sharma, is the youngest among her siblings. Her father, a retired chief booking supervisor with the Indian Railways, played a significant role in nurturing her passion for cricket. At the age of 9, she became captivated by the sport, often urging her father to arrange for her to accompany her brother Sumit Sharma, a former Uttar Pradesh pacer and her initial coach, to the ground for net practices and matches.
It was during one such practice session at the Ekalavya Sports Stadium in Agra that her talent shone through when she made a direct throw from a distance of 50 meters, hitting the stumps, catching the attention of Hemlata Kala, then a selector for India’s national women’s team, marking a pivotal moment in her journey.
Despite facing initial setbacks in being overlooked by state team selectors during her teenage years, her multifaceted skills eventually garnered recognition from other selectors, notably Rita Dey, a former Indian batter and selector, who took on the role of mentorship.
Beginning her cricketing career as a medium pacer, Deepti later transitioned to slow off-spin bowling, a move that posed challenges initially. However, with guidance and support from her local coaches and selectors, she successfully honed her spin-bowling skills, leveraging her height to her advantage.
Consistently delivering exceptional performances at both the state level and in A side matches, it was her standout debut performance against South Africa in Bengaluru that solidified her position in the national team.