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Deepti Sharma said receiving the Uttar Pradesh government's award of an honorary post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state last month was a dream come true for her as she had always been fascinated by the job.
Deepti, who hails from Agra and captains the state's team in the Women's Premier League (WPL), was felicitated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and awarded a cash prize of ₹ 3 crore for her cricketing achievements.
"I always dreamt of becoming a police officer. I used to see that it is a difficult job but I always wanted to wear that uniform once and wanted to see how it felt," she told PTI Video.
"My parents also supported me that I should become a police officer. I and my family are really happy with this recognition," she added.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also recognized her as the best international women's cricketer for 2022-23. The International Cricket Council (ICC), too, included her in their T20 team of the year.
"The more balls I face, the more time I will get to score big" - Deepti Sharma
As she readies to take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the UP Warriorz's tournament opener on Saturday, one of the things in focus would be Deepti's entry point in the batting order - which India didn't get right a lot of times in 2023.
"The more balls I face, the more time I will get to score big. But whether I bat above or below, my focus will be to contribute for the team," she said.
The Warriorz finished third in the points table of WPL 2023, losing to Mumbai Indians in the knock-out playoffs. In nine matches, Deepti scored 90 runs and picked up nine wickets at an average of 34.33.
