Harmanpreet Kaur during a practice session in Indore on Friday.
| Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY
The all-important clash between India and England at the Holkar Stadium here on Sunday brings two stars in Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Teammates in the Women’s Premier League, they’ve won two titles for Mumbai Indians. The two were in the middle of a three-ODI series, which went India’s way 2-1 earlier this year, in the run-up to their maiden ODI World Cup campaigns as captains.
Come Sunday, and it might come down to these two once more.
Sciver-Brunt has been England’s batting anchor, looking comfortable against seam and spin. Her run-a-ball 117 against Sri Lanka put her repertoire on show.
She is also handy as a seam-bowling all-rounder, with four wickets to her name in the tournament so far, allowing England to field a spin-heavy line-up without compromising on batting or pace reserves.
Harmanpreet, meanwhile, has had a rough ride, on home turf no less. With a top score of 22, she has not been able to stamp her authority with the bat. She has also come under scrutiny for an uncharacteristic passivity in marshalling the field.
While the Indian think tank is more than capable of strategic fixes, it’s Harmanpreet the batter who needs special attention. She is a player who thrives in World Cups, where her average — 45.09 — is better than her career average (36.69) in the format. In fact, her most memorable knock has come in the event: the iconic unbeaten 171 against Australia in 2017.
Ahead of her biggest test yet in this tournament, one wonders if she looked back on some stellar knocks from the past during a long solo training session on Thursday.
Take her counter-attacking unbeaten 107 against England in the 2013 showpiece event for instance. She accessed all parts of the Brabourne Stadium with authority, frustrating the English despite eventually finishing on the losing side.
There’s also the 84-ball 102 she smashed against the same opponent earlier this year, another sublime effort where she was at her big-hitting best.
The 36-year-old’s half-century in that record-breaking third ODI against Australia a month ago was crucial to helping India stay in the chase for as long as it did.
With captains across the spectrum — from Alyssa Healy and Laura Wolvaardt to Sophie Devine — taking charge of their side’s fortunes in key encounters, India will need Harmanpreet, the unforgiving aggressor on a batting-friendly Indore track, now more than ever.
Published – October 17, 2025 10:27 pm IST
