Moga's pride: Harmanpreet Kaur's inspiring journey to cricket captaincy

Indian women cricket captain Harman has put the small town of Moga — her native place — in Punjab on the world map, by her exploits on the cricket field.

In sports, Moga's pride in hockey was elevated by Balbir Singh Senior. Moga's athlete Tejinder Pal Singh Toor became Asia's champion in shot put. Now, Harmanpreet Kaur is shining Moga's name.

Not many know that after selection in the Indian team, she was first given jersey number 84 in the Indian team. However, Harman didn't want this number as it is associated with the year 1984 when anti-Sikh riots took place in Delhi few months after the Operation Bluestar. She played in jersey number 23.

Harman's father was also a volleyball and basketball player

Harmanpreet Kaur, born in the village of Duneke in Moga district, was born in 1989 on International Women's Day (March 8). Her parents dressed her in her first shirt that read ‘Good Batting.’ No one imagined then that one day the world would truly call this girl "Good Batting." The darling of Harmandar Singh Bhullar and Satwinder Kaur, young Harman used to play cricket in the streets with boys. Harman's father was also a volleyball and basketball player, creating a favourable environment for sports at home

The status that Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli hold in men's cricket, Harman has earned the same name in women's cricket.

There is a popular Punjabi saying about her native Moga: ‘Moga gets whatever it desires.’

And her only desire is to win the World Cup.

In the World Cup semi-final played yesterday in Navi Mumbai, while chasing a record target against seven-time world champion Australia, Jemimah Rodrigues' century innings played a crucial role, but Harmanpreet Kaur's captain's knock of 89 runs was crucial to the victory too.

Team's senior most player

The 36-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur is the team's senior most player, who poured all her experience into the most important and decisive match of the ongoing World Cup. Sitting in the pavilion before Amanjot Kaur's winning shot, Harmanpreet Kaur's teary eyes were translating her emotions.

She has been a big-stage player.

In the 2017 World Cup semi-final as well, she played an innings of 171 runs against Australia. Out of the first four major partnerships played by India in World Cup knockout matches so far, Harmanpreet Kaur has been part of every single one. Yesterday too, Harman and Jemimah forged a record partnership of 167 runs.

Two of the four highest individual scores in World Cup knockout matches belong to Harmanpreet Kaur. Under Harman's captaincy, India also chased a record target of 339. For the first time in both men's and women's one-day World Cup matches, a team chased a score of over 300 in knockout matches. India also broke Australia's 15-match winning streak.

Only Indian woman cricketer to score over 3000 runs in T20

In 2018, she became the first Indian cricketer—among both men and women—to score a century in T20. She is the only Indian woman cricketer to score over 3000 runs in T20. She is the first cricketer to play 100 T20 matches. She is also one of three cricketers to score over 3000 runs in one-day cricket. She was the first Indian woman cricketer selected in Australia's Big Bash League, playing for a foreign team. She is the first Indian woman cricketer to feature in Wisden's list of five cricketers of the year. As captain, she is the first Indian captain to win her first three Tests. She holds the record for winning the most trophies in the Women's Premier League.

Before Harman, women's cricket in Punjab didn't have much recognition. In India, cricketers like Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra, and Jhulan Goswami had some recognition. When Harman stepped onto the pitch and started explosive batting like the boys, Harman's popularity reached its peak. She began to be compared with male cricketers.

Wanted to become a medium pacer

As a child, Harman wanted to become a medium pacer. Then she decided to play as an all-rounder in the team and moulded herself into a fast-scoring batsman in the middle order. Despite her light-built appearance, Harman holds the record for the longest six (91 metres) to date. She is the second cricketer from the country to be included among the world's top 10 batsmen. She has been part of the World XI once.

At Gyan Jyoti School Academy in Darapur, coach Kamaldeep Singh Sodhi became an angel for her. Playing state-level for S.K. Public School Firozpur, 16-year-old Harman reached the Punjab Cricket Association camp. She was 18 when selected for Punjab's senior team. After defeating teams from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, Harman was selected for the North Zone team. After playing the Under-19 Challenger Trophy, Harman was selected for the national team camp.

Being selected in the camp of 30 probable players at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore changed Harman's life.

In 2009, in the ICC Women's World Cup, Harmanpreet played her first international one-day match against Pakistan.

At 23, captained Indian team in the T20 Asia Cup

Harman first came into the headlines in 2010 when she played an innings of 33 runs in a T20 match against England. An innings of 84 runs in one match against England greatly boosted Harman's confidence. In 2012, she became the youngest Indian woman cricketer to captain the Indian team. At the young age of 23, she captained the Indian team in the T20 Asia Cup and made India the Asia champion. In 2013, Harmanpreet scored her first international one-day century with an unbeaten 107 runs against England. Harman debuted in Test cricket in 2014. Known only as a batsman until then, Harmanpreet emerged as an all-rounder in 2015 when she took 9 wickets spinning the ball in the semi-final against South Africa in Mysore.

In 2016, the cricket world buzzed with Harman when her bat spoke volumes on the Australia tour. Harman played a blistering innings of 46 runs off just 31 balls. Thanks to this innings, India chased the highest score in T20 cricket. It was due to Harman that India won the series. In the same year, 2016, in four matches of the T20 World Cup, Harman scored a total of 89 runs with all-round performance and took 7 wickets. In 2017, Harman's all-round play in the World Cup elevated her status to the top. Harmanpreet scored a total of 359 runs, including her name among the world's top batsmen. She also took 5 wickets bowling. In the semi-final against Australia, she played an unbeaten innings of 171 runs off 115 balls with 20 fours and seven sixes. In the final, as soon as Harman was out at her personal score of 51, the Indian women's team collapsed just like the Indian men's team used to fall like cycles in a cycle stand when Sachin Tendulkar got out. India lost the final by just 9 runs. On return, Harman received a grand welcome.

Received Arjuna Award in 2017

In 2017, the then President of the country, Ram Nath Kovind, honoured her with the Arjuna Award. In 2018, the Indian team played under Harman's captaincy in the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies. Harman played a captain's innings in the very first match, scoring a century against New Zealand. This was the first century by any Indian woman cricketer in T20 international matches. She played an innings of 103 off 51 balls. In 2020, under Harman's captaincy, the Indian team reached the T20 World Cup final for the first time and finished as runners-up. In 2022, under Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy, India won the silver medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. In the first Indian Women's Premier League, Mumbai Indians won the title under Harman's captaincy. In 2023, won the gold medal at the Asian Games.

Serving as DSP in Punjab Police, Harman has played 6 Tests, 160 one-day matches, and 182 T20 matches in her cricket career. She has scored 4389 runs in one-day cricket, including seven centuries and 22 half-centuries. In T20, she has scored 3654 runs. One century and 14 half-centuries. Bowling, she has taken 31 wickets in one-day cricket, 32 in T20, and 12 in Tests.

(The writer has authored multiple books on sports)