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Team India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has now officially established herself as the most capped player in women’s international cricket. Surpassing New Zealand’s Suzie Bates record, the Team India skipper has featured in 368 matches in international cricket.
Harmanpreet Kaur has made this record during the Indian Women's Team’s third T20I match against England Women's Team on June 2 at the County Ground in Taunton. India lost the match as well as the series, but Kaur’s record is surely going to remain untouched for a long time.
A rare milestone for Harmanpreet
Since making her international debut in 2009, Harmanpreet Kaur has so far played in seven Test matches, 164 One Day International matches, and 197 matches in the T20 International. She surpassed New Zealand's Suzie Bates to become the number one on the list. Australian cricket legend Ellyse Perry is also in the list, who represented the national team on 357 occasions.
Mithali Raj is in fourth spot on the list. The legendary Indian cricketer played 333 international matches throughout his career. For the fifth rank, it is New Zealand's Sophie Devine who has played 313 matches in international cricket.
In the milestone match, Harmanpreet Kaur played a crucial, unbeaten 56-run knock from 40 deliveries with seven boundaries. Because of Kaur's innings, Team India was able to put on a respectable total of 180 runs in 20 overs, in exchange for 5 wickets. However, England won the match by six wickets and claimed the 3-match T20I series by a 2-1 margin.
The top five most-capped women in international cricket history include:
- Harmanpreet Kaur (India) - 368 matches (Tests: 7, ODIs: 164, T20Is: 197)
- Suzie Bates (New Zealand) - 367 matches (ODIs: 184, T20Is: 183)
- Ellyse Perry (Australia) - 357 matches (Tests: 15, ODIs: 168, T20Is: 174)
- Mithali Raj (India) - 333 matches (Tests: 12, ODIs: 232, T20Is: 89)
- Sophie Devine (New Zealand) - 313 matches (ODIs: 159, T20Is: 154)
Ahead of the ICC Women's T20I World Cup, it was a crucial series for the Indian cricket team. While Harmanpreet Kaur's form is a positive point for the team, the loss of the series is a setback for the team.
India needed one breakthrough to protect their total
After the match, the Team India skipper stated that they were pretty much in the contest, needed to break the partnership of Alice Capsey (82) and Heather Knight (70 not out) on time. Because of the solid partnership in the middle, England claimed the victory with ease.
"For us, it was a case of getting one more wicket. We were in the game, but unfortunately, we couldn't [break the stand]. A lot of positives, except for the wicket we were looking for, going forward to the World Cup. [Best XI?] We are pretty clear, we still have two more practice games before WC, so we can think about other combinations. We have very good players who are sitting out and will have chances, but we are pretty clear on the XI going forward," Harmanpreet Kaur said.
