Harmanpreet Kaur will wear Sydney Thunder colours for two more seasons. (File photo)
India’s T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur has extended her association with Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League by two years, it was announced on Friday morning. The franchise chose to extend Kaur’s contract on the final day of the tournament’s contracting period for the third edition, which starts from December 9.
Harmanpreet became the first Indian woman to play in a foreign T20 league by featuring in the WBBL last season and she made a mark as well. She scored 296 runs for the Sydney Thunder at an average of 59.2 and a strike rate of 117 – the second-highest scorer for the side. With the ball, she picked up six wickets including a four-for against the Melbourne Stars. She was chosen as Sydney Thunder’s Player of the Tournament for her stellar show.
She added to her glittering CV during the World Cup qualifiers and then the World Cup by steering India to the final – where they lost to England. In the semi-finals, she scored a smashing unbeaten 171 runs from 115 balls – the highest score in the tournament’s knockout stages.
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Thunder general manager Lee Germon expressed how Harmanpreet was the hottest property following the World Cup. “Following the Women’s World Cup, Harmanpreet was the hottest property in cricket,” Germon said. “She showed during that tournament, and through her performances with the Thunder, that she is one of, if not the most, destructive batters in the game at the moment.”
Thunder coach Jo Broadbent spoke about the value Harmanpreet brought to the side. “She’s a match-winner and that’s what you need in T20, you need those match-winners,” Broadbent told adelaidenow.com.au. “She’s got that really good blend of technique and power, she really works on the basics. She’s just incredible and such a great person to have. Her bat does most of the talking.
“Normally in the women’s (T20) game if you get your run rate up to eight runs an over, you rarely see players explode and get over 10 runs an over and do that for four or five overs. She can do that. If we had to get 10 or 12 runs an over and she was in the middle, you’d almost be backing her to win a game.”
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