Harmanpreet Kaur’s scintillating knock of unbeaten 171 off 115 deliveries helped India reach 2017 women’s World Cup final and beat Australia by 36 runs in the semi-final. The cricketer’s mother Satwinder Kaur had a powerful message to share after her daughter’s record-breaking ton. 

“I just want to say that the way my daughter has made us proud, others should also give their daughter a chance to live their dream and shouldn’t kill them in the womb,” Kaur’s mother told news agency ANI.

Harmanpreet’s sister, Hemjit said her father – Harmandar Singh – has been the batter’s role model.

“Her first coach has been our father. He was a good cricketer, but due to some circumstances he could not reach where he wanted to in the sport. But today he is able to realise his dream through his daughter,” she said. 

Harmandar Singh said that Harmanpreet has promised him that India will lift the Cup.

“We are all very proud of her feat. The nation is proud of her,” he said. 

The cricketer produced inarguably one of the greatest ODI knocks ever in women’s cricket to power India into the final of the World Cup. With India in a spot of bother at 35-2 in the 10th over, Harmanpreet came in and mauled the Australian bowlers with her brutal force to power India to 281-4 in the rain-hit semifinal.

But in the run-up to the semifinal, Harmanpreet struggled to get time in the middle and had faced only 91 balls in five innings. 

“I didn’t get a chance to bat in the whole tournament,” she said after her scintillating knock.

“Today when I got the chance I just wanted to utilise this opportunity, because today was the day where I wanted to prove myself and thanks to God, whatever I was thinking, (worked).

“Mithali (Raj) and Deepti (Sharma) scored really well and Veda [Krishnamurthy] scored really well,” she added complementing her batting companions.

b’Harmanpreet Kaur. ICC.’

Such was Harmanpreet’s brutal assault that she was at one stage batting on 41 off 60 balls before going berserk.

The 28-year old cricketer hailing from Moga in Punjab had earned acclaim in the T20 circuit, becoming the first Indian to be picked for the Big Bash League and the Kia Super League.

Talking about her marauding knock, Harmanpreet, who idolises Virender Sehwag, said: “Today’s plan was just watch the ball, hit it hard and this is what I was doing.”

“Some areas they were bowling well but I just wanted to hit and rotate the strike.”

Harmanpreet was involved in a 137-run stand for the fourth wicket with Deepti Sharma (25), the only Indian woman with a higher score in ODIs.

“I just told her (Deepti) to rotate the strike, you don’t have to take the pressure. I was hitting the ball well and I told her to give me the strike and I will take the responsibility and she did a great job,” Harmanpreet said.

(With PTI inputs)

Feature image: ICC