Harmanpreet Kaur is the name that has been echoing in the corridors of Indian cricket for some time. From international cricket to Indian Premier League (IPL), she has made her mark in almost every format of the game. So far in her career, Harmanpreet has scored 3445 runs in WODI, 3,112 in WT20I, and 1,119 in WBBL. Not only this, the all-rounder has clinched 31 wickets in the WODIs and 32 in the WT20I. She is one of the few players in women's cricket, who has taken five wickets in a single match.
Talking about Harmanpreet Kaur's stature as a cricketer, she is often considered as one of the greatest cricketers ever in the history of Indian cricket. The ace cricketer has received a lot of praise from legendary Men's cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, and many others. In the year 2017, Harmanpreet was bestowed with the prestigious Arjuna Award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
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For the uninitiated, Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian women cricketer to score a century in WT20I. She achieved this feat in India's match against New Zealand back in the 2018 T20 World Cup. Not only this, but she is also the only Indian women cricketer who has scored more than 3,000 runs in her career. She also holds the record of playing most matches (114) as a captain in WT20I. For the uninitiated, Harmanpreet is also the only cricketer in India (men or women) who has played in 100 international T20 matches.
Harmanpreet Kaur is leading the Indian women’s cricket team to the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which is happening in the United Arab Emirates. The tournament will kick-start on October 3, 2024, with an exciting clash between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Team India will kick off their campaign on a day later on October 4, 2024, against New Zealand at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Team India is placed in the group of death, Group A, along with tAustralia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.
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Despite being placed in the group of death, the Indian cricket team is inspired to make their mark at the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup by winning it on October 20, 2024, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India’s best finish to date came in this competition at the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, when they reached the final. However, Team India was beaten by Australia in the final by 85 runs. For the unversed, Australia is the most successful team in the competition with six titles. Talking about Team India, apart from its captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, there are a series of key players, including Deepti Sharma, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Renuka Thakur, and many more.
After Mithali Raj's retirement, when the Indian women's team was looking for a leader, it was Harmanpreet Kaur who took the mantle in her hands. At the age of 35, Harmanpreet is still hungry to win more, and her competitive character never fails to light up the dressing room. So far, she has won the Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup (2012, 2016, 2022), the Women's Premier League (2023), the Gold Medal in Cricket at the 2022 Asian Games, and many more.
Sports is one of the most unpredictable industries in the world. One day, you're the best player in the world, and the very next day, you suffer an injury, and suddenly, owners start finding your replacement. This is why having a government job is quite essential for every sportsperson in the country. However, in Harmanpreet's case, she struggled a lot to get a government job. Despite contributing so much to women's cricket, she didn't get employment in Punjab Police.
Once, in an old interview, popular cricket coach, Yadwinder Singh Sodhi opened up about the time when Harmanpreet was struggling to get a job. The cricketer got so much depressed that she reportedly decided to stop playing the game. Well, as per Yadwinder Sodhi, he and Harmanpreet requested the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Prakash Singh Badal to give her a government job. Opening up about the same, Yadwinder Sodhi said:
"Even after playing for India at a very young age, and having done well, Harmanpreet Kaur was struggling for a job. We requested Punjab Police to employ her, we even met former Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal a few times, but all we got in return was 'You are a female cricketer. There is no scope for any employment with Punjab Police'. She went through all this."
For the uninitiated, Harmanpreet Kaur finally got a government job at Indian Railways on the recommendation of former cricketer, Diana Edulji. Coming back to Harmanpreet Kaur's illustrious cricketing career, let's talk about her earnings, which make her India's richest women's cricketer. According to a report in Navbharat Times, Harmanpreet Kaur has an estimated net worth of Rs. 25 crores. Talking about her income streams, she is a List A category player and earns Rs. 50 lakhs per year.
The ace all-rounder, Harmanpreet Kaur receives Rs. 1.80 crores from her WPL team, Mumbai Indians. She also earns a handsome sum of money for playing in the Women's Big Bash League, but the amount is not disclosed in the public domain. Apart from earning a lot of money from cricket, Harmanpreet is also quite active when it comes to brand endorsements.
Harmanpreet Kaur has been seen in advertisements for many renowned brands, including HDFC Life, CEAT, Nike, PUMA, Boost, and many more. Although her fee for a single brand work is enclosed, the chances are high that she might be charging a handsome amount for the same. Harmanpreet has 2.2 million followers on her Instagram handle and is renowned for her fashion quotient.
According to a report in Navbharat Times, Harmanpreet Kaur owns luxurious houses in Patiala and Mumbai. The prices of the properties aren't disclosed in the public domain, but rumours have it that both houses are quite fancy. It will be interesting to see how the 35-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur's career progresses in the coming years as she gets older, and her excellence will be tested in almost every tournament from here on.
What do you think about Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women's cricket team?
Also Read: When Indian Skipper, Mithali Raj Revealed Why She Doesn't Want To Get Married And Is Happily Single
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