Harmanpreet Kaur Shares Her Cricketing Idol at Summit 2026

Harmanpreet Kaur's Admiration for Ricky Ponting

During the ongoing Summit 2026, Harmanpreet Kaur disclosed the captain she looked up to the most while growing up. The 37-year-old cricketer made history by leading India to its first-ever World Cup title last year. This remarkable achievement came after the Women in Blue triumphed in the 2025 Women's World Cup held on home soil, defeating both Australia and South Africa in the semifinal and final matches in Navi Mumbai.

Harmanpreet became the fourth Indian captain to secure an ICC trophy at the senior level, joining the ranks of Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma, with Suryakumar Yadav also recently making the list. However, she expressed that her greatest admiration was for Australia's Ricky Ponting. "Growing up, I always looked up to Ricky Ponting. His team's dominance over the years inspired me. They were champions for such a long time, and I wanted to emulate him. He remains one of my favorite captains," Harmanpreet shared during a rapid-fire segment of the event.

For context, Ponting holds the record for the most successful captain in ICC trophy history, having led Australia to four major titles. Under his leadership, the Australian team won the World Cups in 2003 and 2007 without losing a single match. Additionally, he guided the team to victories in the 2006 and 2009 Champions Trophy. Looking ahead, Harmanpreet aims to add more accolades to her collection during the upcoming 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, where India hopes to clinch the trophy for the first time. This tournament is scheduled to take place in England from June 12 to July 5.