Why Harmanpreet Kaurs Leadership Stands Out in the WPL Crowd

ByAnupam Pandey,SportsCafe Editor

Today at 5:25 PM

Harmanpreet Kaur is an example of a captain leading from the front. And this is not just for the Indian cricket team, it is also for Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League. Harman continued to showcase her heroics to put Mumbai back among the top teams of the table.

Mumbai Indians had a forgetful start to the Women's Premier League 2026. The team had almost won the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but lost the game in the final over. However, they had to make sure that the tag of defending champions remained one to be feared with as they proceeded to the further games.

And they have been able to do it in the next two games, winning against Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants. In both of these games, one thing remained common, Harmanpreet Kaur playing a captain's knock for the team. This also makes her one of the most successful captains in the history of the tournament, with both captaincy and the bat.

1. Harman’s Heroics Lead Mumbai to Consecutive Wins

In the first match played by Mumbai Indians, the captain was able to score just 20 runs. But she decided to gain her form back in the very next game. Mumbai Indians faced Delhi Capitals in the next game, the same team which Harmanpreet Kaur had defeated twice in the finals to win both of their titles.

With Mumbai batting first in this game, the team was able to decimate the bowling line-up of Delhi. Amelia Kerr was dismissed quickly, but Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Scriver-Brunt took the center stage. The captain went on to score 74 runs off 42 balls, which helped the team to score 195 runs.

Mumbai also dominated the game with the bowl, as they were able to bowl out Delhi for just 145 runs. Winning the game by a margin of 50 runs, Harmanpreet Kaur claimed the Player of the Match award. Following this game, Mumbai had to play against Gujarat Giants, who remained at the top of the table.

In this game, Mumbai Indians definitely did not have a good time with the ball. This eventually helped Gujarat to put up a massive total of 192 runs against Mumbai. For the chase, the team received a strong start with the help of Hayley Matthews, who scored 22 runs off just 12 balls.

Eventually, both of the openers were dismissed and Harmanpreet Kaur took the center stage. She also received some support from Amanjot Kaur and Nicola Carey at the other end. This helped Mumbai to win the game by 7 wickets, with the captain scoring 71 runs in this mammoth chase. Over the three games played by Mumbai this season, Harmanpreet has now won the POTM award in two of them.

2. Captain Sets New Records

The match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants came to be the one, where Harmanpreet Kaur decided to break records. She did not just make one, but many, scripting her name in the history of the game. With the win yesterday, Harmanpreet Kaur had won her 9th POTM award in WPL.

What makes it more exciting is that the other captains combined have won just 5, creating a fair margin between them. Along with that, the 71-run knock against Gujarat also helped Harmanpreet Kaur to reach 1000 runs in the WPL. She is now the first ever Indian to reach this mark in the tournament.

When it comes to the most runs in the history of the WPL, she stands just behind Nat Scriver-Brunt. Although she is not an opener, she has been able to demonstrate her batting skills consistently for the team. With her last knock, Harmanpreet Kaur now also holds the record of most half-centuries in the Women's Premier League.

After a long time, Harmanpreet Kaur is also holding the Orange Cap in the tournament. Topping the run scoring charts in the current season, it will be intense to see how she performs in the upcoming games for the team. The team will now be going against UP Warriorz tomorrow, as Harman leads the charge again.

3. Kaur Continues Remarkable Captaincy

Harmanpreet Kaur has been remarkable as a captain, in both WPL and international cricket. She had already led the Indian team to various playoffs in the ICC events. And when the first edition of the WPL took place, she helped Mumbai Indians to win the first ever WPL title, defeating Delhi Capitals.

Her captaincy didn't go much well in 2024, as the team got knocked out in the playoffs. But 2025 could be termed as the year which belonged to her. She first led Mumbai Indians to win their second Women's Premier League title. And later, she also led the Indian team to win the Women's World Cup, becoming the first ever captain to do the same.