Harmanpreet Kaur has etched her name in Indian cricket history, becoming only the second woman from the country to score 1000 or more runs as captain in ODIs. The Indian skipper reached this landmark during the first ODI of the three-match series against the West Indies on December 22 at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
Kaur’s achievement came in just 26 matches, making her the second Indian woman after the legendary Mithali Raj to reach this milestone. Mithali, who is regarded as one of the greatest women cricketers, has accumulated 5319 runs from 155 ODI matches as captain — a record that has stood tall in Indian women’s cricket.
Harmanpreet Kaur, now with 1012 runs to her name as captain, has maintained an impressive average of 53.26, with three centuries and five fifties. Her top score as captain is a remarkable 143* against England in September 2022 at Canterbury.
Kaur’s ability to perform consistently under pressure has solidified her status as a leader for the Indian women’s team, and this latest feat further underscores her importance in the team.
Interestingly, while Harmanpreet’s achievement is historic in the women’s game, she also became the 10th Indian batter to do so in ODIs across both men’s and women’s cricket. The list of male cricketers includes icons like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Sourav Ganguly, who have all been prominent figures in Indian cricket.
Harmanpreet returns after injury
Earlier in the day, Harmanpreet, who returned after recovering from a knee injury, marked her return to the national side with a brisk 34 off 23 balls, helping India to a solid total of 314/9. India had earlier been propelled by a strong opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and debutant Prakiti Rawal.
The side eventually won by a mammoth 211 run, bowling out the Windies for just 103. Renuka Singh picked a five-wicket haul, ending with brilliant figures of 5/29.
