You know you’ve done something special when the man known to the cricket world as the ‘King’ doffs a hat to you. That’s what happened after Harmanpreet Kaur bludgeoned her way into the record books to lead India to victory in the opening game of the 2018 ICC Women’s World T20 against New Zealand at Guyana.
A six-laden 51-ball 103 from Harmanpreet propelled India to a 34-run win in their Group B opener. The sixth edition of the Women’s WT20 – and the first standalone – had been given the perfect launch, and as she smacked ball after ball into orbit, the Indian captain was winning the admiration of the world.
A recently-retired (only from the shortest format) hero of Indian cricket was among the first to rise in appreciation of a sublime display.
Indian cricket stars, past and present, applauded a breath-taking effort, which saw Harmanpreet go from 50 to 100 in the space of just 16 balls.
The adoration wasn’t limited to Indian audiences: the world, fierce rivals included, was watching.
Of course, it doesn’t take long for superhuman efforts to be shrouded by sexist slurs in these parts of the world – but a former men’s cricketer, fortunately, was there to bat for the women’s team.
Those who missed out on the astonishing spectacle were rueful.
You had to see it to believe it. But well, the World T20 has only just begun!
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