Harmanpreet Kaur Surpasses Meg Lanning as Most Successful Women's T20I Captain
Historic Achievement for Harmanpreet Kaur
In a remarkable feat, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has surpassed Australian cricket icon Meg Lanning to become the captain with the highest number of victories in women's T20 internationals. This milestone was reached during the third T20I match against Sri Lanka held in Thiruvananthapuram, where India clinched an eight-wicket victory, thereby winning the five-match series 3-0.
With this latest win, Harmanpreet has now recorded 77 victories in 130 T20I matches as captain, alongside 48 losses and five matches with no results, giving her a win percentage of 58.46. In contrast, Lanning achieved 76 wins in just 100 matches, with only 18 losses, one tie, and five no results, boasting a significantly higher win percentage of 76. Lanning's impressive record includes four T20 World Cup titles, solidifying her status as one of the most successful captains in the history of both men's and women's cricket.
During the match, India won the toss and opted to field first. Sri Lanka managed to score 112 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs, with notable contributions from Imesha Dulani (27 runs off 32 balls), Hasini Perera (25 runs off 18 balls), and Kavisha Dilhari (20 runs off 13 balls).
Indian spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma made history by becoming the first player, male or female, to take 150 T20I wickets, finishing with figures of 3 for 18. Pacer Renuka Singh was the standout bowler for India, taking 4 wickets for 21 runs.
In response, India chased down the target with ease, led by a stunning performance from Shafali Verma, who scored an unbeaten 79 runs off just 42 balls, including 11 fours and three sixes. Captain Harmanpreet contributed 21 runs off 18 balls. Shafali's performance marked her second consecutive fifty, bringing her total to 333 runs in eight T20Is this year, averaging 55.50 with a strike rate exceeding 173.
Having already secured their first ICC Women’s World Cup title, Harmanpreet now aims to guide India to their inaugural T20 World Cup title in women's cricket, scheduled for June-July next year in the UK. India is placed in a competitive Group A alongside Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan, with two additional teams yet to qualify.