Harmanpreet Kaur, the Mumbai Indians’ captain, demonstrated her batting brilliance with an unbroken innings of 95 runs, leading her team to a spectacular seven-wicket victory over the Gujarat Giants in a Women’s Premier League (WPL) match.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s innings of 95*(48) included 10 fours and 5 sixes at a staggering strike rate of 197.92 and was also the 3rd highest individual score in WPL, followed by Sophie Devine’s 99 and Alyssa Healy’s 96*. She also won her 5th Player of the Match award in the WPL, the most by any player.
Talking about the match, Gujarat Giants were 150/2 in 14 overs following Beth Mooney’s 35-ball 66 and her vital partnership alongside Dayalan Hemalatha, who eventually departed for 74 off 40 balls. However, the Giants were not able to capitalize in the last 6 overs, scoring only 40 runs and also losing 5 wickets. While the projected score at the 14-over mark was nearly 210, the Giants would have felt that they were 15-20 runs short at the innings break.
On the contrary, Mumbai, chasing 191, didn’t start well and were trailing at 100/3 at the 14-over mark when captain Harmanpreet Kaur teed off scoring the next 91 runs in just 29 deliveries, at a brisk rate of 15.6 rpo, helping her team advance to the knockouts with a game still to be played.
Harmanpreet’s power-hitting was so impressive in the play against the Giants that the match referee had to inspect her bat, according to the MI captain during the post-match interview!
Harmanpreet revealed that she batted with her practice bat because it provided a better grip, but the match official checked her bat after a devastating knock against the Giants.
“When we were practicing, I was using this bat (the one she played with), my match bat was different. But my grip was a bit loose with the latter. Then, I thought I should use my practice bat only,” Harmanpreet said.
When a fellow anchor jokes that she will keep Harmanpreet’s bat for herself, the Mumbai captain adds that the match referee looked at her bat.
“Arey vo referee mere peeche pade hain, bat check kar rahe hain, jaise pata nahi kya daala hai bat me (The match referee is behind me to check my bat as if I’ve put something in it),” Harmanpreet said during a Jio Cinema conversation post that blinder of an innings.
"Arey vo referee mere peeche pade hain, bat check kar rahe hain, jaise pata nahi kya daala hai bat me,"
~ Harmanpreet Kaur #CricketTwitter #WPL2024 pic.twitter.com/RKfJlwWV44
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) March 10, 2024
Harmanpreet Kaur was vital to the team’s success last year, having scored 281 runs at an average of 40.14 and a strike rate of 135.09. Though Harmanpreet wasn’t in the best of forms in the lead-up to this WPL season, she has looked in sublime touch. She also missed a couple of games due to a niggle mid-season but continues to strike well, amassing 235 runs from 5 games this season.
Fans on X were delighted to see Harmanpreet Kaur return to her best with the bat and expressed their excitement by hailing the star batter’s vintage form. Here are some of the reactions:
95* in 48 balls 🔥🔥🔥
HARMANPREET KAUR PLAYED CAPTAIN'S KNOCK!
Highest Successful Run Chase of WPL History ⚡⚡ 🔥🔥. #WPL2024 ! #MIvsGG ! #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/hTPjEMrst3— Pandey Deepak (@PandeyDeepakBa1) March 9, 2024
Harmanpreet Kaur, what an innings!
95*(48)She single-handedly snatched the victory away from Gujarat. Incredible knock. 🔥#WPL2024 pic.twitter.com/7drMl4MwH5
— Omkar Mankame (@Oam_16) March 9, 2024
Harmanpreet Kaur in WPL:
65(30), 11*(8), 53*(33), 51(30), 25(22), 23(26), 2(5), 14(15), 37(39), 55(34), 46*(41), 6(6), 33(30), 95*(48).
This is ridiculous consistency by Harmanpreet Kaur, The GOAT of WPL. 🤯🐐🔥🔥#HarmanpreetKaur #WPL2024 #TATAWPL #TATAWPL2024 #MIvGG pic.twitter.com/DJp87oMp6H
— Saabir Zafar (@Saabir_Saabu01) March 9, 2024
MI required 95 Runs in last 6 overs 😮
Harmanpreet Kaur scoring 75 Runs out of 95 Runs 👏 GOAT🐐 Level Performance @ImHarmanpreet 🔥#HarmanpreetKaur #WPL2024#MIvGG #INDvENGhttps://t.co/fRToQxDyMw
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) March 9, 2024
#HarmanpreetKaur at the end of 14th over – 20*(21).
Harmanpreet Kaur at the end of 20th over – 95*(48).The Greatest knock in WPL history.#WPL2024pic.twitter.com/nbpDUY0Mb7
— Ashu 🖤 (@Ashu_x18) March 9, 2024
Mumbai Indians had a big target to chase and didn't have a good start,then came in the captain Harmanpreet Kaur and smashed 95* to lead MI to the playoffs(first team) brilliant & tremendous innings deserved a century 🔥#WPL2024 • #HarmanpreetKaur pic.twitter.com/G4dFnz9HLX
— ishaan (@ixxcric) March 10, 2024
HARMANPREET KAUR… YOU LEGEND….!!!! 🫡
95* (48) with 10 fours and 5 sixes. MI needed 47 in 18 balls – captain smashed 4,0,6,4,4,6,6,1,0,1,6,4,1,1 to win the match for MI. 🥶🔥 pic.twitter.com/G1tqc3h2bc
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 9, 2024
India 🇮🇳 is blessed to have Harmanpreet Kaur 👏
95* Runs in just 48 Balls 🔥#WPL2024 #MIvGG #HarmanpreetKaur pic.twitter.com/3WP3fGHJis
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) March 9, 2024