Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India Women, is turning 34 today, March 8, 2023. The right-handed batter, who is currently leading Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023, is arguably the most prominent player in Indian women’s cricket among the current crop. So far in the competition, Mumbai has won both of their matches.
Harmanpreet has played for India Women in three Tests, 124 One-Day Internationals, and 151 Twenty20 Internationals since making her international debut in 2009. The star batter has put up impressive figures in white-ball formats, despite the fact that she hasn’t had many opportunities to prove herself in red-ball cricket.
She has scored 3322 runs in one-day internationals, averaging 38.18, has five hundreds, and has scored 17 fifties. She has scored 3058 runs in T20Is, averaging 28.05 with one century and 10 fifties.
Harmanpreet has excelled as a national player over the course of his career. We revisited three of her best willow performances in honor of her birthday.
September 2022, second one-day international against England in Canterbury.
Harmanpreet scored an unbeaten 143 off 111 balls in the second one-day international of the three-match series against England in September 2022 in Canterbury. Indian Women defeated the hosts by 88 runs.
After being put into bat, the Women in Blue scored an impressive 333/5 as a result of her efforts.
Starting as the No. 4, the captain of India Women batted first, hitting 18 fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 128.82 in her knock.
India Women had previously lost Yastika Bhatia for 26 and Shafali Verma for four. Before being pinned lbw by Sophie Ecclestone, Smriti Mandhana performed admirably in her knockout of 40.
India were having trouble at 99/3. However, Harmanpreet played a captain’s knock, which helped the team. She and Harleen Deol shared a 113-run partnership for the fourth wicket (58 off 72).
The Indian captain went absolutely insane after scoring a run-a-ball hundred in the end. In the penultimate over, she smacked Freya Kemp for a maximum and three fours off consecutive deliveries before clubbing Ecclestone for a six and two fours.
November 2018 Women’s Twenty20 World Cup match against New Zealand in Providence
In the first match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Guyana in 2018, Harmanpreet once more led from the front for India Women.
After winning the toss, the Women in Blue decided to bat first. Harmanpreet hit an incredible 103 runs in 51 balls, including seven fours and eight sixes.
Given that India lost three wickets for 40 runs during the powerplay, the right-handed batter’s innings was remarkable. Smriti Mandhana was kicked out for two, debutant Dayalan Hemalatha for 15, and Taniya Bhatia was kicked out for nine. India was saved by Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues (59 off 45), who added 134 runs for the fourth wicket.
The Indian skipper made a cautious start before switching gears and crushing Jess Watkin in the 10th over for two sixes. Harmanpreet’s big hits just kept coming in after that.
She slammed Watkin in the final over for two sixes in a row. Harmanpreet became the third woman to score a hundred in a T20 World Cup with a couple off the 20th over bowled by Sophie Devine.
ODI World Cup second semi-final against Australia in Derby, July 2017
Without a doubt, Harmanpreet’s best hit to date. In the knockout stages of the World Cup and throughout international cricket in general, the Australians have prevailed over India Women.
However, Harmanpreet stunned Australia with a brutal knock in Derby in the second semi-final of the 2017 ODI World Cup.
After winning the toss, India Women batted first, losing their openers Smriti Mandhana (six) and Punam Raut (14) in 10 overs. Mithali Raj, the skipper, had 36 runs, but after 25 overs, the score was 101/3. Australia appeared to be in control.
In an unforgettable display of big-hitting, Harmanpreet, on the other hand, crushed 20 fours and seven sixes to propel the Women in Blue to 281/4 in the match, which was reduced to 42 overs per side.
In the 35th over, the right-handed batter reached her hundred off 90 pitches, including two from Kristen Beams. After that, she slammed Ashleigh Gardner for two sixes and two fours off of deliveries that came in succession.