Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma withdraws from Women's Hundred: Here's why
What's the story
Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma has withdrawn from the 2025 Women's Hundred. The decision comes as part of her strategy to manage the workload amid a busy international and franchise league schedule. Deepti helped London Spirit win their maiden Hundred title last year at Lord's with a stunning six in the final. Notably, the all-rounder will be pivotal to India's campaign in the Women's ODI World Cup this year.
Team dynamics
Changes in the London Spirit camp
Deepti's withdrawal has opened up a spot for Australian all-rounder Charli Knott in the Spirit squad. The team will also see major changes this year, with Charlie Dean replacing injured Heather Knight as captain and Grace Harris coming in for Meg Lanning. Meanwhile, Chris Liddle has been named the head coach, replacing Ashley Noffke.
Indian absence
No Indian players in this year's Hundred
Deepti's withdrawal from Women's Hundred means there will be no Indian players contracted in this year's tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not issue No-Objection Certificates to active men's players for overseas leagues. Indian women, who have featured in the tournament before, either were not picked or were unavailable due to workload concerns.
Career
A look at Deepti's stats
Deepti has been India's mainstay all-rounder across formats. She is also the third-ranked all-rounder in the ICC Women's T20I Rankings. In 16 Women's Hundred games, she has racked up 289 runs at a strike rate of 57.80. Her tally includes an impressive strike rate of 126.75. Meanwhile, Deepti has taken 18 wickets at 17.38 with her off-spin in the tournament.