Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur broke down in tears during the post-match chat after smashing an unbeaten 91 off 41 balls to lead India to a 92-run win over Zimbabwe in the third and final women’s T20I at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday.
India sealed the three-match series 3-0 as new captain Smriti Mandhana led the side to victory. Harmanpreet’s return to form with the bat proved to be timely as she had stepped down from the captaincy just days ago.
Batting first, India scored a huge 216/7 in 20 overs with Harmanpreet’s 91 and Shafali Verma’s 69 of 37 balls. Harmanpreet clobbered 10 fours and five sixes as she shifted gears after a slow start to exploit the Zimbabwe bowlers.
Her knock saw her named the Player of the Match while Shafali was declared the Player of the Series.
Zimbabwe couldn’t come close to the target and scored 124/7 in their 20 overs. Sharne Mayers scored 60 but India bowled well to restrict the opposition.
Nandani Sharma returned with the ball to take 3/18 as the hosts won comfortably by 92 runs, claiming all four series matches.
The emotional downpour, however, was when she was talking to the media right after the match as she cried her heart out and thanked the people who stood by her at that difficult juncture.
She credited her batting coach and the support from the stands while rebuilding her confidence. Her act on the pitch was a strong reply to her critics as India completed a convincing series victory and the veteran captain reaffirmed her worth to the team.