A turbo-aggressive batter, epitomising the West Indian bravado, Deandra Dottin made her ODI debut in 2008 against Ireland. She enjoyed instant success, shepherding West Indies home with a brisk 33* after an alarming top-order wobble. Her propensity to attack the opposition irrespective of the situation has made her one of the most dangerous batters in Women's cricket.
She was at it in the tour to Europe, cracking 149 runs after being bumped to the top of the order. A fallow patch in the 2009 World Cup meant that she was demoted to the lower middle order. She rediscovered her mojo, notching up a fifty against the Aussies in the very next encounter.
Her full range though came on display in the 2010 T20 WC, where she pummelled a Gayle-like 45-ball-112 against South Africa at a gargantuan strike rate of 248.88, a feat that saw the fastest hundred in Women's T20 cricket.
For her exploits with both bat and ball in the 2018 World Twenty20 - which included a stunning 5-5 against Bangladesh - she was named as the standout player of the tournament. In September of that same year, she became just the third women's cricketer to feature in 100 WT20I matches and in September 2020, became the first cricketer to hit 100 sixes in WT20Is.
With her dominant batting hogging the limelight, her resourceful bowling often slips under the radar.
Dottin is arguably the most destructive hitter of the cricket ball in Women's cricket. She opens the innings for Windies and is an expert in making the most of fielding restrictions on offer. The strength that she possesses make her better than most Women cricketers on the planet.
Of late, she has emerged as a genuine pace bowler, her all-round skills make her an invaluable asset in T20 format. She is a fantastic fielder at backward point and pulled off the catch of the tournament in the 2022 Cricket World Cup against England which saw her fly airborne to take a one-handed catch.
Interesting facts:
1. Dottin has also excelled in athletics, winning medals for Barbados in the CARIFTA Games.
2. She is the cousin of former West Indies quick, Ottis Gibson.
3. Dottin's self-proclaimed nickname is \"World Boss\".
Written by Deivarayan Muthu and Varun Dixit
