3 times Harmanpreet Kaur proved to be the biggest clutch player for India

India Women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is celebrating her 34th birthday today (March 8, 2023). Arguably the biggest star in Indian women’s cricket among the current lot, the right-handed batter is currently leading Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023. Mumbai have won both their matches in the competition so far.

Having made her international debut back in 2009, Harmanpreet has so far represented India Women in three Tests, 124 ODIs, and 151 T20Is. While she hasn’t got too many chances to prove herself in red-ball cricket, the star batter has produced some impressive numbers in white-ball formats.

She has scored 3322 runs in ODIs, averaging 38.18, with five hundreds and 17 fifties to her name. In T20Is, she has amassed 3058 runs at an average of 28.05 with the help of one century and 10 fifties.

Over the years, Harmanpreet has played exceptional knocks for the country. On her birthday, we revisited three of her finest performances with the willow.

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#3 (143* off 111) - 2nd ODI vs England in Canterbury, September 2022

The Indian captain in action during the Canterbury ODI. Pic: Getty Images

In the second ODI of the three-match series against England in Canterbury in September 2022, Harmanpreet struck an unbeaten 143 off 111 balls as Indian Women hammered the hosts by 88 runs.

Thanks to her exploits, the Women in Blue posted an imposing 333/5 on the board after being sent into bat.

Coming into bat at No. 4, the India Women skipper led from the front, striking 18 fours and four sixes in her knock, which came at a strike rate of 128.82.

Earlier, India Women lost Shafali Verma for four and Yastika Bhatia for 26. Smriti Mandhana looked good in her knock of 40 before she was trapped lbw by Sophie Ecclestone.

At 99/3, India were in a spot of bother. But Harmanpreet lifted the team by playing a captain’s knock. She featured in a 113-run stand for the fourth wicket with Harleen Deol (58 off 72).

After reaching a run-a-ball hundred, the Indian skipper went absolutely berserk in the end. She clubbed Ecclestone for a six and two fours in the penultimate over and smacked Freya Kemp for a maximum and three fours off consecutive deliveries.

Chasing 334, England were held to 245 as Renuka Singh picked up 4/57. Thanks to Harmanpreet and Renuka’s efforts, India Women clinched the series with one game in hand.

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#2 (103 off 51) - 2018 Women’s T20 World Cup vs New Zealand in Providence, November 2018

Harmanpreet Kaur has hundred in the T20 World Cup. Pic: Getty Images

Harmanpreet again led from the front for India Women in Guyana in the first match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2018.

The Women in Blue elected to bat first after winning the toss, after which Harmanpreet slammed 103 off only 51 balls - an exceptional knock that featured seven fours and eight sixes.

The right-handed batter’s innings was amazing considering the fact that India lost three wickets for 40 runs inside the powerplay. Taniya Bhatia was dismissed for nine, Smriti Mandhana for two and debutant Dayalan Hemalatha for 15. Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues (59 off 45) then rescued India, adding 134 runs for the fourth wicket.

The Indian skipper began cautiously before shifting gears by clobbering Jess Watkin for two sixes in the 10th over. The big hits just kept flowing for Harmanpreet after that.

In the penultimate over, she thumped Watkin for two consecutive sixes. With a couple off the 20th over bowled by Sophie Devine, Harmanpreet became the third woman to hit a hundred in a T20 World Cup.

Thanks to the Indian captain’s superb innings, her team put up a competitive 194/5. Hemalatha and Poonam Yadav then claimed three wickets each as the Kiwis were held to 160/9.

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#1 (171* off 115) - 2nd semi-final 2017 ODI World Cup vs Australia in Derby, July 2017

The star India Women’s batter during her famous knock of 171*. Pic: Getty Images

Undoubtedly, Harmanpreet’s finest knock to date. The Aussies have had the upper hand over India Women in World Cup knockouts and in international cricket in general.

However, in the second semi-final of the 2017 ODI World Cup, Harmanpreet stunned Australia with a brutal knock in Derby.

India Women batted first after winning the toss and lost their openers Smriti Mandhana (six) and Punam Raut (14) inside 10 overs. Skipper Mithali Raj contributed 36, but at 101/3 after 25 overs. Australia seemed to have the upper hand.

Harmanpreet, however, clobbered 20 fours and seven sixes in an unforgettable display of big-hitting to lift the Women in Blue to 281/4 in the match, which was reduced to 42 overs per side.

The right-handed batter reached her hundred off 90 balls with a couple off Kristen Beams in the 35th over. She then slammed Ashleigh Gardner for two sixes and two fours off consecutive deliveries.

Harmanpreet kept going even after crossing 150. In the 41st over, she launched Jess Jonassen for consecutive sixes and ended up unbeaten on 171. Incredibly, the batter struggled with quite a few niggles, but did not let the same affect her concentration.

Chasing 282, Australia were held to 245 all-out as Deepti Sharma claimed 3/59, while Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey picked up two scalps each.

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