Thiruvananthapuram: Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur scripted history by becoming the most successful skipper in women’s T20I cricket, surpassing Australia’s Meg Lanning for the highest number of wins as captain.
The landmark came during India’s commanding eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Greenfield International Stadium on Friday.
With this triumph, Harmanpreet now boasts 77 wins from 130 matches as captain, including super over victories, a win percentage of approximately 59%. She overtook Lanning’s tally of 76 wins in 100 matches, while England’s Heather Knight (72 wins in 96) and Charlotte Edwards (68 in 93) follow.
The match itself was a clinical performance: Renuka Singh Thakur claimed 4/21 and Deepti Sharma 3/18 to restrict Sri Lanka to 112/7. Chasing 113, opener Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 79 off 42 balls (11 fours, 3 sixes), while Harmanpreet contributed a quick 21 off 18 as India sealed the win in just 13.2 overs, taking an unassailable 3-0 series lead.
Harmanpreet, who has led India since 2016, attributed the success to her team. “It’s something I never thought of, but I’m truly grateful… “It’s all credit to my team,” Harmanpreet said, expressing her continued focus on the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The achievement highlights her longevity and consistency, making her the first captain to lead in 130 women’s T20Is.