Good to see young Indian girls have power to hit sixes: Harmanpreet Kaur
Mumbai Indians’ skipper Harmanpreet Kaur spoke about giving freedom to young talents at MI and why she felt the need for a break.
Harmanpreet Kaur wanted to “slow down” after relentless cricket late last year. Fresh from a break — she was rested for the Ireland series — the India and Mumbai Indians captain is looking to pick up the pace again, with the Women’s Premier League (WPL) starting on February 14.
In Mumbai to link up with her inaugural season-winning MI crew that has fresh additions, headlined by 16-year-old U-19 World Cup winner G Kamalini, Harmanpreet, 35, in an interview with HT talks about giving freedom to such young talents at MI and why she felt the need for a break.
Excerpts:
Fresh and hungry after a bit of a break?
Yes. When you’re playing too much cricket, sometimes things can get too much for you. That way, I enjoyed this break. Thoda sa slow down kara life ko. I got some time to spend with family. Now I’m really looking forward to this season.
How do you slow down... switched off from the game fully?
Look, as international cricketers, we can’t completely go away from cricket because then you can’t maintain your fitness. I was still going to the NCA every alternate week to train. But having 2-3 days off, doing some things that you enjoyed when you were young, it helps. I met my family after two years; they were in Canada with my sister. It was an ideal time for me to take a break, and BCCI also supported me in that.
You have a fine record in WPL (549 runs, avg 45.75, SR 137.9). Do you tend to play more freely?
For me, creating a good atmosphere means a lot, the same thing I’ve tried to do at international level. An atmosphere where people are enjoying cricket, no matter what expectations we carry. In the first season, it was easy and clear. People around me wanted to take the load off me and I was free to play my cricket. That was something that really helped me do well. It’s the same thing we’re trying to do while playing for India.
MI have retained the core from last season. How much does that help?
We didn’t want changes to our core. Because the first season we played really good cricket, and we want to continue those things. We only wanted to add some domestic cricketers who had done well.
Three of MI’s four recruits at the mini-auctions were Indians...
I’ve only heard positive things about them, from what they’ve been doing in the camp in the last 3-4 days. I want to give them as much freedom as they want -- that is very important for a player. And role clarity. When you know what the team expects from you, you know what you have to deliver.
Kamalini made headlines with her ₹1.60cr auction price and at the U-19 World Cup. How impressed have you been with her?
I saw her play the U-19 World Cup, and before that I’ve seen her videos through MI. I’m yet to meet her. I’m really excited. Earlier, it was a headache to create power-hitters. Now, all young girls know what the team requires, and what international cricket requires. And they prepare accordingly. That makes our job easier at international and franchise levels. It’s good to see that these young girls have power to hit sixes, and they know what kind of cricket they need to play. We’ve seen that in the last couple of years. Since WPL started, our players are adding those things to their skills. It’s a positive sign.
With you and coach Charlotte Edwards, what role does the MI leadership group play in developing such domestic talent?
We try our best to give them the right platform and training. Sajana (Sajeevan) is the best example. Whatever opportunity she got, she was able to utilise that and also make it at the international level. So, we try our best, and then it is up to the players how they take it forward.
MI were champions in the first season, third last year. Confident of taking things forward?
Definitely. The first season, when you’re doing well, sometimes you miss out on areas you need to plug. Sometimes you don’t want to change those things because they gave you the results. Last season, as a team we felt there are things we need to change to keep doing well. And this season we have tried to cover all those things. I’m sure this team has the talent to make it happen again.
India retaining the U-19 Women’s World Cup must have pleased you...
When we won the first World Cup (2023), there was some nervousness and intrigue about how our team was going to do. This time, we were all relaxed. We knew our team is really good. I’m sure they felt the pressure. The second time, there’s always a bit more pressure because you want to win again. But from the outside, I was confident that this team is so strong they will win all the games one-sided. And they did just that.
