When Harmanpreet Kaur switches to Thor mode, bowlers can only brace for impact. The nickname her friends use for her, inspired by the Marvel superhero’s extraordinary power, seemed tailor-made for the India star in Raipur. With the captaincy burden off her shoulders, Harmanpreet brought the thunder against Zimbabwe in the third T20I, smashing an unbeaten 91 off just 41 balls in a breathtaking display of power-hitting.
The innings was a timely reminder of Harmanpreet’s destructive best and a glimpse of what India can expect when their experienced campaigner plays without the weight of leadership. Having managed just 131 runs in her previous 10 T20Is at a strike rate of 99.24, she arrived at the crease with plenty to prove and Zimbabwe bore the brunt of her resurgence.
India vs ZImbabwe, 3rd Women’s T20I: Updates | Scorecard
Harmanpreet hammered 10 fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 221.95, powering India to 216 for seven. Having handed over the captaincy to Smriti Mandhana, she appeared determined to trust her instincts, take risks and embrace her natural attacking game.
Before the match, Harmanpreet received some words of wisdom from former India women’s coach WV Raman, and they appeared to pay off handsomely. After her explosive knock, Harmanpreet made sure to acknowledge Raman’s advice, crediting his encouragement for helping her rediscover her natural attacking game.
“I should give credit to you (WV Raman, former India women’s coach) too (for telling me to do what I wanted to do), and thanks for those words (before the game),” Harmanpreet said at the innings break.
HARMANPREET SHIFTS GEARS
Harmanpreet’s innings did not begin with fireworks. She took her time to settle in, scoring just 10 runs off her first 11 deliveries. But once she found her rhythm, the transformation was dramatic. She brought up her half-century off just 25 balls, leaving Zimbabwe’s bowlers struggling to contain her.
The momentum shifted decisively in the 14th over, when Harmanpreet took Kudzai Chigora apart for 20 runs. She began with a lofted four over mid-off before unleashing two sixes, including a ferocious pull over long-on. Another four over mid-wicket followed as she picked the length early and attacked fearlessly. The over marked a stunning change of gears, with Harmanpreet suddenly finding boundaries almost at will.
Having seized the initiative, she showed no signs of easing off. She moved cleverly around the crease, created room to free her arms and punished anything that strayed into her hitting arc. What began as a measured innings had become a full-blown assault, with Zimbabwe struggling to find a way to slow her down.
THOR TAKES THE ATTACK
The 16th over delivered another dose of Thor’s trademark power. Facing Beloved Biza, Harmanpreet charged down the track and launched a delivery over long-on for a towering six that travelled 82 metres. After two dot balls, she advanced again and sent another delivery soaring over cow corner. Two sixes in the same over underlined her dominance and kept India’s charge firmly on track.
Harmanpreet continued to attack in the closing stages, combining clean strikes with clever placement to keep the scoring rate soaring. Shafali Verma had laid the foundation with a blistering 69 off 37 balls, including six fours and five sixes. Their partnership provided India with the platform for a formidable total, but Harmanpreet took charge as the innings progressed, ensuring the momentum never faded.
The knock was about more than just a big score. Harmanpreet looked unshackled, playing with the freedom and aggression that have made her one of India’s most feared batters. Her unbeaten 91 was the second-highest score of her T20I career, behind her historic 103 against New Zealand in 2018, when she became the first Indian woman to score a T20I century.
Nearly eight years after that landmark innings, Thor was roaring again. With the captaincy no longer weighing on her shoulders, Harmanpreet had delivered a powerful reminder that she remains capable of turning a match on its head — and that when she finds her fearless best, few bowlers are safe.
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