Harmanpreet Kaur (born 8 March 1989) is an Indian cricketer and the captain of the India women’s national team in all formats. An all-rounder, she has made a remarkable impact in Indian cricket. Kaur made history in 2018 when she became the first Indian woman to score a century in a T20I match. Similarly, she is the sole Indian woman cricketer who has registered over 3000 runs in T20s. She is one of only three Indian women to pass 3000 runs in Women’s ODIs.
Harmanpreet Kaur International Debut
Harmanpreet’s first international appearance was in the year 2009, her career-defining match came in 2013 against England when she scored a century in the women’s World Cup hosted in India. Although the knock came in a losing effort, Charlotte Edwards, captain of England’s side, praised it. In the same year, she was appointed the captain of the Indian ODI team for a series with Bangladesh. By 2016 she had already been made the captain in all formats of the game after India’s unsuccessful campaign in the T20 World Cup.
Harmanpreet Kaur – Valuable All-Rounder
An all-rounder, she has made a remarkable impact in Indian cricket. Kaur made history in 2018 when she became the first Indian woman to score a century in a T20I match. Similarly, she is the sole Indian woman cricketer who has registered over 3000 runs in T20s and is one of only three Indian women to pass 3000 runs in Women’s ODIs.
She reached yet another landmark in 2019, achieving the feat of being the first Indian person to play One hundred International T20 games. At the moment, she represents the Mumbai Indians, leading the side in the Women’s Premier League. Her remarkable play earned her the Arjuna Award in 2017, awarded by the ministry of youth affairs and sports.
Harmanpreet Kaur has single-handedly changed the game for Indian women cricketers. She set the record books ablaze with an unbeaten 171 runs against Australia defending champions in the 2017 ODI world cup semi finals. Her brilliance in batting enhanced India’s chances at the final and changed the whole prospect of women’s cricket in India. Apart from her rich slog sweep and genuine stroke play, Harmonpreet also admires the play likes of her idol, Virender Sehwag as she is an aggressive player.
First Indian player to join WBBL – Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet is an idol for Indian women cricketers as her achievements have defined the terms in the new era. Advertisements, endorsements, central contracts, and even male pay have been achieved in that era. The credibility of her country has increased globally, but now England wants to make them country’s cricket players as well. The fans screamed when she joined the team Sydney Thunder, as she was the first Indian player to sign a Big Bash League contract. This opportunity came after she performed especially well when India toured Australia in 2016. She made India the most successful chase on her 31-ball 46 contribution to the series. Another landmark was when she became a member of the Surrey Stars team participating in the ECB’s Kia Super League in June 2017.
Leadership Role and Achievements
Harmanpreet’s leadership reached its zenith in 2020 when she took India to the T20 World Cup final against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Her significance was further evident as the match was witnessed by a record number of 86174 spectators. Later in 2023, she led the Mumbai Indians to victory in the first-ever women’s premier league. This win was the dawn of phase in Indian woman’s cricket.
