Over her 15-year-long (and counting) international career, rage is an emotion that has come to be associated with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Remember that unbeaten 171 blitzkrieg against Australia in the 2017 ODI World Cup semifinal in Derby?
When she brought up her century with a tense double, a mix-up with Deepti Sharma almost cost India a wicket. After diving to safety, it was not a century celebration one got to see. Instead, Harmanpreet hurled her helmet away and unleashed an angry tirade on Deepti.
That fire doused quickly enough, towards her partner at least, but she kept the flame fanned to decimate the bowling side, the best team in the world, to finish with an innings that saw 20 fours and seven sixes. That knock was a slap in the face to critics of Indian batting pedigree who for long, and perhaps rightly so, believed power hitting was not an Indian ability.
These embers of aggression surfaced many times over the next few years, more so after the captain’s armband passed on to her. In 2023, during the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, India drew the final game which Harmanpreet seemed to attribute to umpires favouring the host.
In an incident that brought back memories of a certain Shakib Al Hasan, Harmanpreet smashed the stumps when she was adjudged out on 14, visibly furious with the decision. During the presentation ceremony after, that seething rage came out as heavy-handed sarcasm as she reportedly called the umpires to join her and opponent captain Nigar Sultana Joty for the photo-op. This incident earned her a two-match ban, which led to the batter featuring only in the final of the Asian Games, which India ultimately won.
Australia brings back the best of the aggressive Harmanpreet as captain Alyssa Healy would discover during the one-off Test in Wankhede last year. The visitor was gaining ground having erased India’s 187-run first innings lead. Harmanpreet, an intelligent offie, brought herself on and took out Tahlia McGrath in her first over. She then went after Healy, who was looking set to impose herself.
A fuller ball on the stumps was hit back to her. Harmanpreet rocketed the ball back to the striker’s end but Healy was in the way. In an attempt to avert a hit, she deflected the incoming ball which ran down deep third for four, leaving invisible fumes raging behind the India captain.
The duo exchanged words, Harmanpreet claimed field obstruction but this was not validated. She got her wicket though, off the very next delivery. A rattled Healy copped a length ball onto her pads in trying to sweep and up went the umpire’s finger. Three reds in the review, but Harmanpreet’s eyes were a deeper scarlet.
FILE PHOTO: Harmanpreet Kaur of India celebrates the dismissal of Tahila McGrath of Australia on Day 3 of Test match between India (Women) and Australia (Women) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI/ The Hindu
Saturday’s Women’s Premier League fixture between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants gave those watching another glimpse of this shade of Harmanpreet, that vintage angry young Punjaban, ready to pump up her teammates but also give them a mouthful should they be anything less than the best versions of themselves.
Saika Ishaque bore the brunt of Harmanpreet’s wrath early on. With a few misfields and a missed potential run out where she made a mess of the collection, she turned to Harmanpreet who shot expletives her way and then looked away just as quickly, the gravity of the skipper’s ire dawning on her. MI had not been successful in keeping Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalatha quiet, the pair stitched a 121-run stand but had pulled things back enough to deny the Giants the joy of a 200-plus score.
Harmanpreet quietly walked back to the dugout. A few minutes later, Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews made their way out to begin MI’s chase. Harmanpreet was spotted quickly getting what looked like a cupcake down. Ashleigh Gardner’s first delivery snuck past the gap between the stumps and a left-leaning Mooney to run away for four. Seconds later, there’s Harmanpreet pacing about the dugout, padded, gloved and raring to go.
This brought back memories of that bullish knock in England nearly seven years ago.
“A day before I had goosebumps, I felt that something big was coming my way and I had to grab it. That day, I wasn’t hungry or thirsty. I was only waiting for my chance to bat so I could go and express myself,” she reminisced.
After a fluent start from Matthews and Yastika, two quick dismissals (of Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt) saw Harmanpreet make her way to the crease. Giants slowed down the MI tempo and made Yastika and Harmanpreet work for every single run. The skipper began slowly, working her way into the feel of the pitch and the kind of spaces she could pick out.
By the end of the 14th over, MI needed a difficult 91 runs off 36 balls. The MI dugout had a few worried faces. Jhulan Goswami was seated in the rear row of the dugout, sinking into her seat just a little as the asking rate touched 15 an over.
If you’re a Chronicles of Narnia fan, the wise words of Aslan, the anthropomorphized lion in the series, would perfectly fit that moment in hindsight.
“You doubt your value. Don’t run from who you are,” Aslan told little Lucy. Harmanpreet too decided to pay heed. She tapped into the purest form of that rage and what it could do if directed inwards.
Her wagon wheel is for all to see. From 20 runs from 21 balls until that point, she finished unbeaten with a 48-ball 95. There was an element of luck too. Phoebe Litchfield dropped a sitter, giving Harmanpreet a lifeline when she was on 40. Blood rushed into the cheeks of the young Australian as she realised who she had put down. And boy, would Harmanpreet go on to make her pay.
“Melie (Amelia Kerr) said she (Harmanpreet) had that look in her eye when she was battling with her at the end. She just knew what she needed to do, what she wanted to do, and executed it,” Sciver-Brunt would reveal at the post-match press conference.
Over 10,000 people were there to bear testimony to a knock that paid homage to the Harmanpreet of old. No creative field setting, no on spot field changes, not even the bizarre match interruption when the sprinklers came on could stop her. An eight-minute delay followed with the super sopper getting to work. MI at that stage needed 23 off 12.
“Jhulan (Goswami, MI’s bowling coach) was very annoyed. We were worried it would break the momentum since we just had two to three good overs. Melie told us that Harman was happy to get a break and get going. Even then, she was so focussed,” Sciver-Brunt added.
During the course of the WPL, we’ve seen many instances when Harmanpreet has slammed the bat onto the pitch, chided herself for a loose shot or an opportunity lost. In times like that, it helps to have a partner who readily sets about executing your gameplan.
In a video by the league, Jhulan and Harmanpreet broke down the chase and the latter underlines Kerr’s role in the storm that was to follow.
“The first priority was to rotate the strike to get a feel of the pitch. When Amelia joined me, we were just counting the number of sixes we needed. At that stage, we had 24 balls and needed at least nine sixes from them. Even if we missed one, we had more deliveries to try,” Harmanpreet explained.
Kerr managed a mix of both. She worked on bringing Harmanpreet back on strike, keeping the conversation going in the middle and even breached the fence when she got a chance to, smacking Shabnam Shakil over deep square leg for six.
Giants’ batters had eased apprehensions about the challenge the wicket would pose. Harmanpreet’s mentality handled the rest. As that video concluded, Jhulan said, “We still have a long way to go and for Mumbai Indians to win, we need more innings like this. “I know, I know,” Harman responded softly as she went in to hug Jhulan, well aware of the weight on her shoulders.
“Harman’s different on game day and when it’s not. When we’re training or around the hotel, she’s very relaxed, very involved with the group, very social. Come game day and she’s a lot more focused and probably has just a bit more tunnel vision on what the task is.
“She’s not often flustered about things. If she hasn’t got off to a quick start, we’re on the sidelines saying, “Ooh, could you go strike a bit more...” but as we saw today, she doesn’t need to. I like to voice things when I bat, but she keeps to herself,” Sciver-Brunt revealed.
Harmanpreet is a flawed hero and a private one. You won’t see sides she doesn’t want to show you. You won’t even see her dissect her efforts in fine detail. Much of the brilliance of Harmanpreet Kaur is between her ears and the only expression of it that we are allowed to partake in is when her bat does the talking. Lucky are those who got to be part of that unforgettable conversation at the Kotla
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