During the T20 World Cup 2024, in the group stage game against Australia at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, India were chasing 151 to stay alive in the competition. Having already lost to New Zealand in their tournament opener, they had to find the win; otherwise, they had to hope that other results went their way. India's captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, tried her best to cross the line, but her unbeaten innings of 54 off 47 was in vain.
Kaur has had many such innings for India where she has tried to marshall the troupes with the lower-order batters. Her 65 against the same side in the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal fixture or 52 in the semifinal at Cape Town at the 2023 T20 World Cup. She has fought hard on every given occasion and each time, the result did not go her way.
Cut to March 15, 2025, at the Brabourne Stadium. Kaur, now the captain of Mumbai Indians, walked in to bat after watching her side inch painfully to 20 runs off six overs — their second worst powerplay score across three seasons. Mumbai's highest run-scorer Natalie Sciver-Brunt was also struggling at the other end. Throughout the season, it was a known fact that Mumbai were not the fastest side to start the proceddings. However, once they caught fire in the middle overs, it became hard to stop the juggernaut. On Saturday, Kaur had to start from scratch.
She welcomed Annabel Sutherland with a thumping boundary through covers. Later, Sutherland looked clueless when Kaur clobbered the Australian for a six.
Jess Jonassen, another Australian, who has had the wood over Kaur in the past, got smashed for three consecutive boundaries. The tables turned and the captain was at the centre of it. Neither Shika Pandey nor Minnu Mani could do anything to stop the leaking runs as Mumbai were back in the contest. Despite losing Sciver-Brunt and a few others at the other end, the captain showed no signs of slowing down despite the pain. By the time she got out for 66, courtesy of Sutherland, Kaur had made sure that Mumbai had put a competitive total. A few deliveries later, Mumbai finished on 149 for seven, which proved to be too much for perennial finalists Delhi Capitals.
Kaur has always been that kind of a player. Despite multiple injury scares or on occasions when things did not go her way, she has found a way to stay afloat. The difference in the WPL final was the player at the other end. Someone like Sciver-Brunt, despite struggling throughout her knock, knew what was needed to be done to keep the scorecard ticking. So even when their opposition looked in complete control, there was room to take on the game and that is what the duo did in the final.
For most of her knocks for India in the past, Kaur has hardly received any help from other batters. If that changes for the national side soon, the results should start going India's way.