Sports Correspondent
Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur broke down in tears during a live television interview after producing a match-winning performance against Zimbabwe in the third and final Women’s Twenty20 International (T20I) in Raipur on Tuesday.
The experienced batter struck an unbeaten 91 off 41 deliveries as India defeated Zimbabwe by 92 runs to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.
Harmanpreet became emotional during an innings-break interview with former India women’s team head coach and commentator WV Raman. She was seen wiping away tears before handing back the microphone and walking away from the cameras.
Although she did not explicitly explain what prompted her emotional reaction, the moment came after she ended a prolonged lean spell with the bat.
The 37-year-old had gone 10 matches without scoring a half-century, struggling for runs during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the 2026 Asian Games, despite India winning both competitions.
Her innings against Zimbabwe was a significant personal milestone, marking her first half-century in 10 matches and her first fifty of 2026.
Harmanpreet’s knock included 10 fours and five sixes, helping India post an imposing 216 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.
Opener Shafali Verma also played a crucial role, scoring 69 off 37 balls as the pair provided the impetus for India’s formidable total.
Zimbabwe, who struggled to contain the Indian batters, managed 124 for seven in reply, handing the hosts a comfortable victory and sealing the series.
Speaking during the innings-break interview, Harmanpreet said she was pleased to have spent time in the middle and enjoyed her batting.
“It feels great. Just wanted to enjoy myself, and great that I got some time in the middle and really enjoyed myself on the field,” she said.
The former captain also credited Raman for encouraging her to play freely, revealing that he had urged her to trust herself and bat according to her instincts.
She further acknowledged the contribution of batting coach Himanshu Chawla and Munish Bali, saying their work had helped her rediscover her rhythm.
“Batting is key for me, and I just want to keep working on it and repeating those processes in the nets,” she said, praising the support staff for understanding the kind of batting she was capable of producing.
Harmanpreet recently stepped down from captaincy across formats, with Smriti Mandhana leading India in the T20I series against Zimbabwe.
The veteran batter indicated that being relieved of leadership responsibilities had helped her approach the game with greater freedom, focusing on enjoying herself on the field rather than feeling weighed down by pressure.
Her performance provided a timely reminder of her ability to change the course of a match, combining experience and power-hitting in an innings that proved decisive in India’s series-clinching victory.
