An unbeaten knock of 171 runs in just 115 balls by Harmanpreet Kaur led India to a 36 runs victory over six-times world champions, Australia in the semi-finals of ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. After seeing her amazing batting performance, Harmanpreet’s sister has compared her to Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli. She said, “She bats like Virender Sehwag and is aggressive like Virat Kohli.”
Harmanpreet also played the biggest knock ever by an Indian woman in a World Cup. This caused her hometown to start celebrating her knock and her family distributing sweets. Her sister, Hemjit Kaur said, “Right from her childhood, she has been playing cricket with boys. Her hunger for runs never dies and this is reflected in her strike rate. Harman is always positive. On the field, she always behaves like Virat Kohli and is aggressive like him. However, off- field, she is quite calm and composed. Right from her early days, she treated Virender Sehwag as her batting idol and even bats like him.”
Harmanpreet’s knock is also being compared with Kapil Dev’s 175 in 1983 World Cup. Her sister said that if she is being compared to such a legend, then it is a moment of pride for her. She also said that their father has been her first coach. “Her first coach has been our father. He was a good cricketer, but due to some circumstances, he could not reach where he wanted to in the sport. But today he is able to realise his dream through his daughter,” she said.
Harmanpreet’s mother, Satwinder Kaur expressed her happiness and said that the whole family is proud of her. “When girls of her age would be carefree, she would sweat it out practising for hours together. Even at home, she used to practice outside. We are proud of her,” she said.