With 15 runs needed off three balls, India women cricket team's Harmanpreet Kaur, who recently guided her side to record sixth Women's T20 Asia Cup earlier this month, lofted a six for Sydney Thunder in her maiden Women's Big Bash League (WBBL 2016) appearance in Sydney on Saturday.
Was a Mahendra Singh Dhoni finish coming from her? With nine runs needed from two balls, Harmanpreet stepped up again, but this time she could only manage a single. Melbourne Stars defeated Sydney Thunder by seven runs.
The result of the match may not have got in favour of the Indian, but her impressive innings of 47 not out (6x3, 4x2) from 28 balls, in her debut WBBL match, bowled over everyone! Harmanpreet remained the highest scorer for Sydney Thunder, and her timely performance also came as an awakening to other teams in the women's cricket competition in Australia, on the lines of IPL.
Melbourne Stars, who scored a total of 147 in 20 overs, may have edged this one, but Harmanpreet remained the centre of attraction. She became the first Indian cricketer to feature in a foreign Twenty20 cricket tournament as she made a place in Sydney Thunder, who won the inaugural edition of the Women's Big Bash League in 2015/16.
"I just try to give my best. Whatever my team requires, I'll do it for my team," she mentioned ahead of the match. "The Asia Cup tournament gave me a lot of confidence and whatever I've learnt from there, I hope I can show it over here," she added.
Welcome to the #WBBL02, Harmanpreet Kaur. The first Indian female player to bowl an over ??? pic.twitter.com/0TDytI59Lw
— TEN Sport (@tensporttv) December 10, 2016
