dpFormer India captain Harmanpreet Kaur revitalised her batting form with intense daily training, leading to match-winning performances in recent T20I and ODI series against Zimbabwe.
IMAGE: Harmanpreet Kaur put in three batting sessions a day to regain her form. Photograph: BCCI Women/X
Key Points
- Harmanpreet Kaur attributes her return to form to rigorous training, including three batting sessions daily.
- She scored an unbeaten 91 off 41 balls in the final T20I against Zimbabwe and a match-winning 126 in the second ODI.
- Kaur’s century in the second ODI, alongside Deepti Sharma’s, helped India win by 121 runs and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
- She emphasised that her extensive practice at home was crucial for regaining her batting rhythm and confidence.
Three batting sessions a day helped Harmanpreet Kaur rediscover her touch after a prolonged lean patch, with the former India captain saying she requires a lot of training to keep her batting rhythm.
Harmanpreet’s underwhelming run with the bat was a key talking point, but the 37-year-old roared back to form with a blistering unbeaten 91 off 41 balls in the final T20I against Zimbabwe before carrying the momentum into the ODI series with a match-winning 126 in the second game.
Harmanpreet’s Training Regimen
“I have practised a lot at home. The more you bat, the more confident you get. I batted in the morning, afternoon and evening — three sessions,” she told fellow centurion Deepti Sharma in a video shared by the BCCI.
“I am someone who requires a lot of training. Looking at my age, I like to spend a lot of time on my fitness. More than that, I batted a lot because I felt like batting was lacking a little. The time I spent at home is helping me.”
Building Crucial Partnerships
Harmanpreet walked in after India lost the wickets of captain Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma in quick succession in the second ODI here on Sunday. Instead of allowing the early setbacks to pile on the pressure, she and opener Pratika Rawal (61) settled in and stitched together a 124-run stand before Harmanpreet added another 153 with Deepti, who scored an unbeaten 106. India went on to win by 121 runs and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
“I was talking to Pratika about the wicket, how they are bowling. We were just thinking about how to build the innings. After two early wickets, the batting team is usually under pressure. But neither of us took pressure. We were backing each other’s strengths,” she said.
