How Harmanpreet Kaur rediscovered her best with slowly mounting pressure

Harmanpreet Kaur said she tried hard yards at home to rediscover her best form and practiced three batting sessions a day ahead of the Zimbabwe series. The 37-year-old has focused more on batting to regain her rhythm and confidence after a long lean stint during which her run-scoring and strike rate came under scrutiny.

Her hard work paid off in the ongoing white-ball series against Zimbabwe. Harmanpreet smashed an unbeaten 91 off 41 balls in the third T20I in Raipur before following it up with 126 off 121 deliveries in the second ODI in Vadodara on Sunday. Her century took India to a 121-run victory and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series.

After stepping down as India’s captain across formats, Harmanpreet is now focused on contributing with the bat and embracing this new phase of her career.

“I practiced a lot at home. The more you bat, the more confident you become. I batted in the morning, afternoon and evening – three practice sessions,” Harmanpreet said while talking to teammate Deepti Sharma in a video recorded by the BCCI.

‘ @ImHarmanpreet and @Deepti_Sharma06’s clear game plans and joy of contribution take us through their match-winning knocks – By @jigsactin #TeamIndia | #INDvWINTER | @mflone_ BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 26, 2026

FOCUS MORE ON FITNESS

After making her international debut in 2009, Harmanpreet is well into the second half of her career after 17 years at the highest level. While batting remains her main focus, the veteran also puts a lot of emphasis on fitness to maintain her performance and longevity in the game.

“I am someone who requires a lot of training. Considering my age, I like to spend a lot of time on my fitness. More than that, I have been batting a lot because I felt my batting was a bit lacking. Time spent at home is helping me,” added Harmanpreet.

HOW HARMANPREET SAVED INDIA

Harmanpreet played a key role in India’s recovery from 19 for 2 against Zimbabwe in the second ODI. After Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma fell early, she joined Pratika Rawal to rebuild the innings. The duo added 124 runs for the third wicket with Rawal contributing 61 off 67 balls and Harmanpreet anchoring the innings.

After Rawal’s dismissal and Tejal Hasabnis’ early exit, Harmanpreet teamed up with Deepti Sharma to form another crucial partnership. Their 153-run fifth-wicket stand, a record for India Women in ODIs, propelled the hosts to 328 for six. Deepti remained unbeaten on 106 off 86 balls as India sealed a 121-run victory.

India will be looking to complete a clean sheet of 3-0 when the third and final ODI takes place in Raipur on Wednesday, October 28.

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