Deepti Sharma wins over England stars years after Lord's run-out controversy as Kate Cross, Alex Hartley share touching story
· Yahoo Sports
Deepti Sharma wins over England stars years after Lord's run-out controversy as Kate Cross, Alex Hartley share touching story originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Visit somethingsdifferent.biz for more information.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Deepti Sharma's 2022 Lord's run-out sparked a bitter rift with England players.
- Now Sunrisers Leeds teammates, Deepti and Kate Cross share a close bond.
- Cross is currently injured and will miss a large chunk of The Hundred.
Deepti Sharma turns former rivals into friends years after that controversial Lord's dismissal
Nearly four years after a contentious run-out at Lord's left English cricket fuming, Deepti Sharma has found herself embraced by the very players once at the centre of that storm, with Kate Cross among those now sharing warm stories about their bond as teammates.
Back in September 2022, India sealed a series-clinching win over England by running out Charlie Dean at the non-striker's end just as Deepti Sharma entered her delivery stride.
England had been fighting their way back into contention in the deciding ODI at Lord's, having recovered from a shaky 53 for 6, and Dean's composed, unbeaten 47 at number nine had them within touching distance of the target of 170 before the dismissal ended the chase 17 runs short.
The method of dismissal, though rare, wasn't unprecedented, having previously been employed by Indian bowlers Vinoo Mankad, whose name became attached to it, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Traditionally, bowlers have offered a warning before attempting it, and while the ICC has since reclassified the law by moving it out of the "Unfair play" category into "Run out," Kate Cross made clear at the time that it wasn't something she personally would do.
"No I wouldn't," she said after the game. "Ultimately it is Deepti's choice how she goes about that. What we did say in the dressing room is that we didn't lose that game of cricket because of that last wicket. It was with a lot of the earlier partnerships that weren't able to be extended."
"I think it's a dismissal that's always going to divide opinion. That's all that's ever going to get said about it: some people are going to like it, some people aren't."
Once the third umpire confirmed the decision, Dean flung her bat down in visible distress as the Lord's crowd jeered India's manner of victory.
View this post on Instagram
Fast forward to friendship at Sunrisers Leeds
Almost four years on, the story has taken a heartwarming turn. Cross recalled Deepti visiting her home after a Test match between the two nations, recounting how she'd asked where Deepti had travelled from, only to learn she'd come all the way from Jaipur, a detail that clearly stuck with her.
Alex Hartley chimed in with her own memory, telling Cross how Deepti had rushed over to her to inform her that Cross was doing fine after she injured her shoulder against MI London during their 2026 The Hundred opener.
In that same fixture, Deepti picked up figures of 2 for 20 from her allotted overs, removing both MI London openers, Hayley Matthews and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, at a point when both looked well set at the crease.
However, Deepti did not celebrate much as Cross got injured during that match.
Cross recounted: "I said to her at the end of the game, cause she bowled well at Oval and did well, and I was like, 'Well done, Deepti. Did you enjoy that?' She said, 'No, because you're injured.' And I was like, 'Oh, Deepti! Deepti! Doesn't matter, we've won'."
Nonetheless, Cross's shoulder injury cast a shadow over Sunrisers Leeds' winning start to the Women's Hundred at The Oval, after she landed awkwardly while making a diving stop at mid-off to deny Hollie Armitage a boundary off Jess Jonassen's bowling.
She immediately grabbed at her left shoulder, received treatment from the team physio, and was replaced by a substitute fielder for the rest of the innings.
Speaking on Sky Cricket commentary afterwards, Cross revealed that scans had shown a couple of tears in the ligaments around her AC joint, though she hasn't yet been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
MORE: England's Rob Key won't rule out Ben Stokes' 2027 Ashes return
Cricket's ability to heal old wounds deserves more credit
What makes this story so compelling isn't just that old rivals became teammates, but how genuinely warm the relationship now appears to be. Sport often gets criticised for holding grudges long after the final whistle, yet here's a clear example of professionals moving past a moment that once triggered national headlines.
Deepti's actions since then, rushing to check on an injured opponent-turned-teammate, downplaying her own success out of concern for a friend, say more about her character than any rule interpretation ever could.
It also speaks well of Cross and the wider England contingent that they were able to separate the method of dismissal from the person who executed it.
MORE: Post-Test retirement blockbuster! Stokes leaning towards BBL move
Franchise cricket gets criticised plenty for prioritising commerce over the sport's traditional values, but stories like this show it can also do something valuable: put players from rival nations in the same dressing room long enough to genuinely understand each other.
Four years after Lord's, what remains isn't bitterness but mutual respect, and that's a far better legacy for both players than any headline from 2022 ever suggested it would be.
For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.