Harmanpreet steps up with clutch show

It's rare to see Meg Lanning deflated in a dugout in a final.

- Samreen Razzaqui

The Brabourne Stadium was still buzzing when the Mumbai Indians, freshly crowned Women's Premier League champions for a second time, took their lap of honour. The last faces in the celebrations' crowd were Harmanpreet Kaur, walking a tad slower than the other pace-setters. A couple of steps later, she paused for a couple of seconds and leapt to applaud the two who held that pose for a few seconds. The echoes of the inaugural season's final came up just short in the last year. Harmanpreet's eagerness to recreate such a moment and bring MI back to the top spot was evident. She believed they had to make a few changes, and she knew a few changes had to be made — both in the team and in herself as a player. Harmanpreet stepped up and delivered the best of MI as a leader and clutch player. In the final home stretch of four games in six days, the last two being high-pressure knockouts, Harmanpreet's scores read 54 (33b), 20 (14b), 22 (11b), and 66 (44b). Despite a subdued start to the tournament, Harmanpreet stepped up when it mattered, and signed off with her best WPL outing in terms of runs (302) and strike rate (154.87). Top-class players often save their best for the last game, and Harmanpreet did her best for the Mumbai Capitals. Reading the situation and conditions, and constantly in the company of Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet unleashed an early storm without breaking her shell. She picked up wickets (once Marizanne Kapp was bowled out) and Annabel Sutherland (Jess Jonassen) to counterattack. From being 10 off her first 14 balls, she ended up scoring 56 off the next 30. "We tried to keep things simple, and whoever was there took calculated risks at that time," Harmanpreet said. Those calculated risks came about frequently and a lot earlier into her innings this season. Her strike rate of 155, up from 141 in 2024, and 135 in 2023, reflected that. In last year's Eliminator, chasing 136 against RCB, Harmanpreet made a watchful 30-ball 33. The moment she got out in the 1