"Today a Punjabi singer came, and this felt like home"- Harmanpreet Kaur on playing in WPL
Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur reckons there's something special in playing in a home T20 franchise league like the WPL. She has played in overseas leagues like the WBBL and the Women's Hundred, but the feeling of playing for MI in the WPL has been something completely different for her.
Harmanpreet also spoke about the overall vibe of the DY Patil Stadium and how fans swarmed in to support the team in large numbers. She feels that this massive presence helped the players get the best out of themselves.
Speaking after the game, Kaur shared about her experience of playing the opening game of the WPL 2023 season:
"When I played in other leagues, it was about the local players. Today a Punjabi singer came, and this felt like home. The Mumbai crowd was special for all of us. It felt like the whole family came together, and we were cheering for this big moment. We just want to enjoy this moment. As we were discussing, we have waited for this moment for very long, and we just want to enjoy rather than thinking for anything else. "
"The Mumbai crowd was special for all of us." - Harmanpreet Kaur
#OneFamily #AaliRe #WPL2023
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Harmanpreet Kaur plays down her knock that set WPL stage ablaze
Like Brendon McCullum's incredible hundred kickstarting the IPL 15 years ago, Harmanpreet Kaur's knock was the perfect start the WPL needed. She scored 65 off just 30 and also had a phase where she scored seven consecutive boundaries.
However, Harmanpreet didn't think much about her own knock, as she credited other batters who batted around her and played their part. She said:
"I didn’t think too much about my innings. I just wanted to be there for my team. I can only be grateful that I was able to express myself on the field and got the chance to bat at the right time. Whoever was batting with me from the other end was getting runs as well, which didn’t put pressure on me. Everyone was looking positive, and when everyone looks positive, good performances will always come."
She added:
"I just want to be there, keep watching the ball and react. Earlier, too many shots were coming in my mind. But now, I just want to react and stick to this approach."
Harmanpreet Kaur will be up against her compatriot Smriti Mandhana when MI take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next game on Monday (March 6).