Harmanpreet Kaur Breaks Mithali Raj's Huge Record In Women's T20 World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur in action [Source: AFP]

In a phenomenal achievement, Harmanpreet Kaur became India's leading run-getter in Women's T20 World Cup history. 

The destructive right-hander surpassed former captain Mithali Raj, claiming the top spot on the list during the high-voltage encounter against Pakistan. 

Harmanpreet comes to India's rescue after early setback

After winning the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur elected to bat first against Pakistan at the Edgbaston. Her decision backfired on the Indian team, as they lost the crucial wickets of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues in quick succession. 

Shafali kickstarted the innings with a historic first-ball six, only to lose her wicket on the fifth delivery of the first over. 

Sadia Iqbal emerged as her nemesis before Jemimah Rodrigues made her walk back to the dugout following a miscued lofted shot off Tasmia Rubab's bowling. 

However, Harmanpreet steadied the ship for her side, forming a vital partnership with Smriti Mandhana for the third wicket. 

As soon as she scored her first run in the game, Harman went past the talismanic Mithali Raj, registering the most runs for India in Women's T20 World Cup history. 

Most runs for India in Women's T20 World Cup: Harman goes past Mithali

• Harmanpreet Kaur- 755*
• Mithali Raj- 726
• Smriti Mandhana- 592
• Jemimah Rodrigues- 408
• Punam Raut- 375

As mentioned above, Harmanpreet Kaur currently holds the record for the most runs by an Indian cricketer in Women's T20 World Cup. 

She has amassed 755 runs, including one fifty and four half-centuries. Mithali finished her career with 726 T20 World Cup runs, followed by Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Punam Raut in chronological order. 

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The explosive middle order batter has been the linchpin of the Indian lineup over the years. Known for her ability to step up on big occasions, Harmanpreet Kaur proved her mettle yet again when the chips were down in the India vs Pakistan Women's T20 World Cup clash. 

She assisted opening batter Smriti Mandhana to perfection, as the duo stitched a valiant 91-run stand for the third wicket. 

The partnership not only bailed the India women out of trouble but also placed Harman and Smriti at fifth on the list of Indian batters with the highest stands for any wicket in Women's T20 World Cups. 

Highest partnerships for any wicket for India in Women’s T20 WCs

134: Harmanpreet Kaur-Jemimah Rodrigues vs New Zealand, Providence, 2018 (4th wicket)

117: Mithali Raj-Poonam Raut vs West Indies, Sylhet, 2014 (1st wicket)

107: Harmanpreet Kaur-Mithali Raj vs Bangladesh, Sylhet, 2014 (1st wicket)

98: Smriti Mandhana-Shafali Verma vs Sri Lanka, Dubai (DICS), 2024 (1st wicket)

91: Harmanpreet Kaur-Smriti Mandhana vs Pakistan, Birmingham, 2026 (3rd wicket)

Also Read: Shoriful Islam At The Top: Best Bowling Figures For Bangladesh Vs Australia In ODIs

Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma join hands after Harman's departure

The third-wicket stand between Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana was broken by Rameen Shamim, who got rid of the latter in the 14th over. 

Her dismissal opened the floodgates for India Women, as they went on to lose two more wickets inside the 17th over. As of writing, the experienced duo of Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma was batting in the middle, with India placed on 137 for five in 18.2 overs. 

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