Harmanpreet Kaur: 7 interesting facts about the Indian women’s T20I skipper

Harmanpreet Kaur has become the first woman under whose leadership the Indian women’s team has reached the WT20 final. If India wins the final against Australia, she will become the second captain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lift a T20 World Cup crown.

This is already India’s best performance at a women’s T20 World Cup. Before the current edition, they reached the semi-finals three times but failed to clear the hurdle. The final against Australia now will be a perfect opportunity for the team as well as Harmanpreet Kaur to gain immortality in the annals of Indian cricket.

Ahead of the blockbuster encounter, we take a look at a few interesting facts about the daredevil Indian team skipper:

💬 "We knew from day one that we had to win all the games."

Harmanpreet Kaur on what winning the finals might mean for India, and what it means to have her parents watch her play live for her country for the first time.#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/XCoog0Eslu

— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) March 6, 2020

Made a big impact in 2013

During the 2013 ODI World Cup, Kaur scored a fantastic ton against England. Though India lost the contest, English skipper Charlotte Edwards was full of praise for Harmanpreet. This took her career to new heights.

Handed captaincy in 2016

In 2016, Harmanpreet was first handed the captaincy duties in the absence of Mithali Raj against Bangladesh. The same year, Harmanpreet was handed the full-time command of the T20I side from the series against West Indies.

7 interesting facts

• She was born on 8th March 1989 in Moga, Punjab.
• She considers former Indian opener Virender Sehwag and current Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane as her idols.
• She made her ODI debut in a World Cup match against Pakistan in 2009
• She made her Test debut during the tour of England in 2014
• She became the first Indian to play in a foreign T20 league, plying her trade for the Sydney Thunder during the WBBL in 2016.
• In 2017, she became the first Indian to sign a deal in the Kia Super League for Surrey Stars
• Her greatest knock came during the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-finals. Scoring 171, her efforts knocked the mighty Australians out of the semis.