WPL Final | Batting depth has allowed me to play freely this season, says MI’s Harmanpreet

Harmanpreet Kaur shines with explosive batting as Mumbai Indians face Delhi Capitals in WPL final showdown.

In all the gushing praise that Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews justifiably received for their half-centuries against Gujarat Giants on Thursday, what perhaps took a backseat was Harmanpreet Kaur’s 12-ball 36.

She was certainly offered a superb platform by the two overseas stars, but by scoring at a strike rate of 300 to propel her team to its highest-ever WPL total of 213 for four, the 35-year-old showed why she is a treasured asset for Mumbai Indians and India.

Harmanpreet’s knock at the Brabourne Stadium was a microcosm of how she has batted all season. By playing the big shots from the outset – her strike-rate of 156.29 is her best across three editions – she has seemingly returned to being the Harmanpreet that captivated observers a few years ago.

On the eve of the final, Harmanpreet said her approach was a result of the team’s greater batting depth this season.

“It’s only about backing yourself. The team has a very long batting line-up,” Harmanpreet said on Friday. “We have tried to add a few young Indian batters who can bat in the death overs. So, that gave us confidence that I don’t need to wait for a bit of time and rotate strike and play the big shots only when the time is right. There’s support mentally now, especially given the way Amanjot (Kaur) is batting. That has given me the leverage to go and play free cricket.”

For the Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, the thrust of the questions was on the team’s defeats in the previous two finals.

“The final has obviously a lot more on the line than a league game,” the 32-year-old skipper said. “But it’s also an exciting opportunity. Throughout the season, we have had different players step up at different times. That gives us a lot of confidence. It’s really irrelevant what has happened in the past, even what has happened in the league games this year. It’s about performing Saturday night.”