India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi paid glowing tribute to captain Harmanpreet Kaur on the eve of her historic 200th T20 International, describing her as ‘a role model for almost all cricketers globally’ and praising the veteran’s work ethic, leadership and influence on the next generation ahead of India’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup clash against South Africa at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Harmanpreet is set to become the first cricketer to feature in 200 women’s or men’s T20 Internationals when she leads India in a crucial Group A encounter. The landmark comes at the same venue where she made her T20I debut 17 years ago, with India also chasing a third consecutive victory in the tournament to move closer to a place in the semifinals.
Speaking before the match, Salvi said Harmanpreet’s stature has been built not only on performances but also on the example she has set throughout her career.
“She’s a role model for almost all cricketers globally. I think Harman is a top-level athlete. The way she has conducted herself over the years, she’s been a role model throughout,” Salvi told reporters ahead of the game.
The India bowling coach also highlighted the skipper’s commitment to continuous improvement and her willingness to guide younger members of the squad.
“She’s been a performer in any format. Work ethics-wise, she keeps on working on the basics. She shares a lot of experience with the youngsters. So that also is a dimension where she comes in,” he added.
While Harmanpreet’s personal milestone will be one of the talking points of Sunday’s contest, India are equally focused on strengthening their position in Group A. A victory over South Africa would keep them unbeaten in the tournament and edge them closer to the knockout stage.
India also enter the fixture carrying lessons from their 4-1 bilateral T20I series defeat in South Africa earlier this year, which Salvi believes helped the squad address several shortcomings.
“Those five games that we played in South Africa taught us a lot. Especially when you lose the series, you tend to reflect a lot into it and find out the grey areas where we needed to work on. I think as a bowling unit, as an entire group, they discussed a lot of stuff amongst themselves, with us, and they have come up with the conclusions that where we went wrong, and we have addressed that into the camps and matches,” Salvi mentioned.
Harmanpreet’s impact was acknowledged from the opposition camp as well. South Africa’s Chloe Tryon, who has shared the dressing room with the India captain at Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League, said watching Harmanpreet’s career unfold had been inspiring.
“It’s been remarkable to watch her journey, when I was a small girl as well, just looking up to big players, I’ve had the opportunity to play alongside her, watch her do her thing. She’s been a role model for so many people around the world,” the all-rounder said.
Tryon also credited the India skipper for helping elevate the women’s game through her longevity and leadership.
“To see her still playing cricket is amazing, and leading from the front, which is really good to see. I don’t know how many more she can push through, but look, it’s great to see how the women’s game has grown and how she’s taken the game forward,” she added.
As Harmanpreet prepares to add another milestone to her international career, India’s coaching staff and even members of the opposition see the achievement as recognition of a player whose influence has extended well beyond the runs she has scored and the matches she has played.
