'Untouchable': Jhulan Goswami makes bold claim on Harmanpreet Kaur’s legacy

NEW DELHI: Harmanpreet Kaur winning the Women’s ODI World Cup and a couple of WPL trophies till date makes her captaincy record “untouchable”, and the 36-year-old still has another four-five years to offer to Indian cricket, reckons her longtime India teammate Jhulan Goswami.

Harmanpreet ended India’s long wait for an ICC title in women’s cricket with the ODI World Cup triumph at home, but even before that, she had already led Mumbai Indians to WPL trophies.

‘No one can touch her record’

"What she has done for Indian cricket, what she has done for Mumbai Indians and franchisee cricket, it is phenomenal,” Jhulan, MI’s bowling coach and team mentor, told PTI here on Wednesday.

“I don't think anyone can touch her record in near future because being a first World Cup winning captain, having two WPL titles and hopefully many more will come, I don't think so."

“The only thing I can say is what legacy she would leave in future will be very difficult to describe at this moment, because I still believe she has another 4-5 years of cricket with her,” Jhulan added.

Emotional World Cup celebrations

Arguably India's finest pacer said the team’s gesture of celebrating the World Cup win with former players including herself, Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra and Reema Malhotra was something that happened organically and was not pre-planned.

“I don’t think at that time we can exchange any word, that was absolutely pure emotions coming out. I must thank Harman, Smriti (Mandhana) and the entire team who came up with it, it was not planned,” Jhulan said.

“We were doing broadcast work and were told by our producer that while they are thanking the crowd, we could ask one (or two) question. But the way those girls come forward towards us and celebrate that moment, I don't think so Indian cricket or any sports has ever seen this kind of gesture what they gave to us.”

Harmanpreet will lead the defending champions MI in the fourth edition of the WPL, albeit with one notable change to an otherwise settled squad, with Australia’s Lisa Keightley replacing England’s Charlotte Edwards as head coach.

MI core and fearless approach

Jhulan said Lisa, while continuing the philosophy already established at the franchise, brings with her the same fearless mindset.

“That's the thing Charlotte started and now Lisa has come, she also brings that kind of mindset that we need to play fearless cricket,” she said.

Jhulan said the ability to retain most of their core players is what makes Mumbai Indians such a formidable franchise.

“If you go through the last year final, I think mostly out of the (playing) eleven, we were able to bring back nine,” she said,

“That was a huge challenge for us, having our own setup, own core players. And why we're supporting our own players? Because they have done so well, they have performed well for our franchise, they bring a lot of values."

“Having Haley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, Amanjot Kaur… those all are very exciting international cricketers, and they have been performing so well throughout the year,” Jhulan added.

Jhulan backed MI spinner Saika Ishaque, who claimed 15 wickets in their maiden title win in 2023, to rediscover her best form after enduring a difficult phase.

“(In the) first season she was unbelievable and (she had) a dream run but after that, I think she was a little bit struggling with her fitness,” Jhulan replied when asked why Saika was not able to build on her impressive debut season.

“These things happen. She had a little bit of niggles over here and there, and those are the things that happen. In the first year, probably people were not aware of her (bowling style) much, and (in the) second they planned well and played against her in a better way."

Jhulan also agreed with the assessment of Australian stars Meg Lanning and Ashleigh Gardner, who will lead UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants respectively, that Indian domestic players are now pushing the established international names.

“It was going to happen. First season, they were not aware of those things, like how to approach a WPL tournament. They had never been in those kind of situations and had never played in front of big crowds, or seen the kind of glamour things,” Jhulan said.

"The amount of fitness (work) those international girls were doing, our domestic girls was not prepared that much."

“But over the period of time, our girls have been improved, and they have come a long way to minimise that gap with international players and the domestic players.”

(With PTI Inputs)