Harmanpreet Kaur has signaled a fresh start in her cricketing career after relinquishing the India captaincy earlier this month, emphasizing a desire to play with less pressure and more enjoyment. The 37‑year‑old’s comments came in the aftermath of her stunning 41‑ball 91 against Zimbabwe in the third T20I at Raipur, where she helped secure a win for her side.
“I don’t think there is any pressure anymore. I think now it’s all about enjoying myself on the field and I think that’s what I want to do,” Harmanpreet said during the post‑match presentation. “I definitely enjoy myself in the middle and this is what I’m here for. I just want to enjoy my batting, and good that those runs came.”
Harmanpreet, who stepped down as skipper with Smriti Mandhana taking over, had gone eight innings without a half‑century before this contest. She entered the innings at number four in the eighth over, managing only a single boundary in the first 12 balls she faced. She then accelerated, compiling 20 runs off Kudzai Chigora’s over, which included two fours and two sixes. The initial boundary—a crisp drive past extra cover off Loryn Phiri’s delivery—was pivotal, boosting her confidence that the pitch favoured batting.
“I think the first ball when I hit for a four, that time I realised it’s a good pitch and the bat was coming nicely to the ball. I think I got a lot of confidence from that shot, and then I just thought let me just keep going and let’s see how it goes,” she explained.
She also credited her net practice for helping her feel more at ease at the crease without the weight of captaincy‑related expectations. Harmanpreet praised her batting coach, Himanshu bhaiya, noting that his rigorous net sessions simulate match pressure, allowing her to perform without extra stress during games.
“I think bat swing is something you know which is my key, and I just want to keep repeating that in the nets, and I think again I just want to give credit to my batting coach Himanshu bhaiya who has been working really hard and understood the kind of batting I can do. Every time when we meet, when we spend time in the nets, he just wants me to keep feeling that same pressure in the nets so that when I am playing the match, I should not feel any extra pressure. I think his tactics and his thoughts work really well,” she added.
Mandhana on India’s bowling options – ‘The more the merrier’
India’s new captain, Smriti Mandhana, expressed satisfaction with the team’s decision to rotate the batting order, noting that the middle order benefitted from additional game time. Speaking ahead of the match, Mandhana had elected to bat first for similar reasons, and she opened the batting with Anushka Sharma and Shafali Verma, thus not facing the bowling herself.
“In the first match we could not get going again – top order as well – then in the second match the [middle order] did not get an opportunity to bat so it was always good to have some game time and always good to have some runs behind your back,” Mandhana remarked.
Mandhana also highlighted the depth of India’s bowling resources, citing Niki Prasad and Shafali among those who received bowling duties. She believes a larger pool of bowlers will aid the team’s preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy, a six‑nation T20I event slated for February next year, with India hosting matches in Mumbai and Vadodara.
“It [bowling options] is looking good for sure… we need and the bowlers – the more the merrier. I’m really happy and pleased with the way Niki, Shafali, everyone chipped in,” she concluded.