- Harmanpreet Kaur, India Women’s cricket team captain, named among TIME magazine’s top 100 emerging global leaders.
- TIME lauds Harmanpreet for her “fire and flair” in transforming women’s cricket.
- Despite accolades, Harmanpreet serves a two-match ban, missing Asian Games; vice-captain Smriti Mandhana takes the reins.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the India Women’s cricket team, has earned recognition as one of the top 100 emerging leaders worldwide, according to TIME magazine. Released on September 13, the list also includes the names of two other notable Indians, Nandita Venkatesan and Vinu Daniel, alongside skipper Harmanpreet.
TIME magazine specifically spotlighted Harmanpreet for her remarkable “fire and flair,” which have played a pivotal role in reshaping women’s cricket. The magazine’s release also highlighted her iconic innings of 171 runs against Australia in a World Cup match back in 2017, a performance that left the cricketing world in awe of her extraordinary talent.
The release quoted by the Indian Express stated,
“Harmanpreet Kaur’s fire and flair have been instrumental in transforming women’s cricket from fringe curiosity to one of the world’s most valuable sporting assets. She attained legendary status back in 2017 when she scored a then-record 171 not out off just 115 balls in a World Cup match against Australia, leaving spectators agog at her extraordinary talent.”
However, it’s worth noting that Harmanpreet has been sidelined from the national team due to a two-match ban she received after expressing her disappointment with the umpires during the third ODI against Bangladesh. This ban also came with three demerit points for her dissent towards the umpire’s decision. Consequently, she will miss the initial matches of the upcoming Asian Games, scheduled to commence on September 19 in Hangzhou, China.
In her absence, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana will take on the responsibility of leading the team in the Asian Games. Nevertheless, Harmanpreet’s contributions to both the national team and her Women’s Premier League (WPL) team, the Mumbai Indians (MI-W), have been substantial. She led her franchise to a spectacular victory in the inaugural edition of the WPL and was also recognized as one of WISDEN’s cricketers of the year in 2023.
Also, see:
Ramiz Raja advises Pakistani cricketers to stay away from cricket
