New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) Describing the act of biting her gold medal on the podium as a ‘next-level feeling,’ India’s off-spin bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma said there was an overwhelming sense of pride in winning the yellow metal in the women’s T20 event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Deepti was a member of the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side that defended their gold medal with a thumping 147-run win over Sri Lanka at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. “I can’t even express the feeling of winning the gold medal because we haven’t had that much of a habit of getting it yet, just like how we have been winning trophies.
“But it felt really good on the podium with the national anthem, and when everyone was lined up with the team, it felt really good. When our flag was there, it was an amazing feeling.
“The feeling of a gold medal is always different, and when you wear it and even bite it for a bit, I can tell you, it’s a very different level of feeling because we’ve only had the trophies so far, but it’s a next level feeling,” Deepti said to broadcasters Star Sports on the WPL 2027 retention deadline show on Monday.
Turning her focus to WPL 2027, where UP Warriorz (UPW) retained her, the Agra-born Deepti highlighted the emotional grounding that comes with playing for the franchise in the five-team competition. Deepti was acquired by the franchise for Rs 3.2 crore at the mega auction held in New Delhi in November 2025.
“As a player, I always think about how I can stay neutral, and this is the thing that keeps me moving forward. How can I do better? So, I think it’s a good opportunity because, obviously, I belong to UP, from Agra, and playing for the UP team, I feel that connection is on a different level. When the family comes to see WPL, it’s even more fun. It feels like we’re at home,” she said.
In the WPL 2026 season, Deepti wasn’t at her best – making 131 runs with the bat and picking up seven wickets. “The finishers are those who finish the game at the end, and as a finisher, I’ve been given the role that I’ve been given in matches from the start.
“So, I always think that whichever number I go to or the balls I get, make sure that I finish in double of it, and whatever total is there on the scoreboard, it stays in our mind that there are so many balls left; ou have to keep this much total. So, when we play things in our mind, we get to learn a lot from that innings,” she concluded.
–IANS
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