Harmanpreet's knock may have done to WPL what Brendon McCullum's did to IPL
Despite all the glitzy build-up, what the inaugural WPL needed to truly blast-off was an I'm-her performance. And it came from Harmanpreet Kaur for Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Giants. In many ways, Harmanpreet's 65 from 30 balls could well be for the WPL what Brendon McCullum's innings in 2008 was to the IPL.
It was as if the India captain in Harmanpreet wanted to vent out the ire of the run-out that had decisively turned the Women's T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final in Australia's favour just days back. On cue, Giants filled all four of their overseas quota with Australians. And that was that.
Harmanpreet found herself in the middle in the ninth over, with Mumbai at 69 for 2. She saw a set batter in Nat Sciver-Brunt depart after a 54-run partnership with Hayley Matthews, who was out next over to leave Mumbai at 77 for 3; with Matthews' wicket, Ashleigh Gardner, after a Player-of-the-Series performance in the T20 World Cup, had yet again left a mark.
But Harmanpreet attacked like she has been doing in recent times. A fortunate outside edge off an attempted drive got her going before she timed a Sneh Rana ball through extra cover. It was in the next over - the 12th of the over that went for 16 - that showed how much she relishes playing the sweep.
Harmanpreet first swept Georgia Wareham's legspin through backward square leg, before nailing the next through forward of deep square leg. A few overs later, she swept Gardner powerfully through midwicket before using the deft touch to paddle her fine through short fine leg for four more on the next ball.
She hit seven fours off successive balls - four of Monica Patel's left-arm seam, and three of Gardner including the two sweeps - while bringing up a 22-ball half-century in the process. The famous bat swing was on show. The confidence had perhaps never left. Glimpses of her only T20I hundred, the turbocharged 171 against Australia, or more recently, the unbeaten 143 were all on display.
Sweeps, check. Pulls, check. Slices and scythes, check. Courtesy of her hitting and Amelia Kerr's able support, Mumbai were able to score 46 between overs 14 and 16, which gave them a launchpad for the death overs. And all this despite having little practice in the lead up.
"Practice karne ko mila hi nahi (I couldn't get time to practice)!" she said about her training ahead of the WPL opener. "There was very little time, and I had a lot of commitments as a player and a captain."
But the key for the "over-thinker" in Harmanpreet was to calm herself down, bring clarity in her thoughts and get herself "in the zone".
"When I am calmer and in the moment, it helps in giving clarity," she said. "Being in that zone isn't easy, but when I am calm it gives me clarity. I have to keep talking to myself and be in the present. When I am in the zone, I am clearer in picking my areas and things become easy for me, and today was that day when I was relaxed."