IND-W vs WI-W: Harleen Deol Unleashes Her Power and Lets Her Bat Do the Talking

A knee surgical procedure pressured Harleen Deol out of motion for 9 months. Whereas she missed being with the Indian group and hanging out together with her team-mates throughout that section, it additionally made her mentally stronger and extra decided.

The batter knew that the comeback to the nationwide group gained’t be simple, with immense competitors for these coveted spots. A agency believer in future, Harleen didn’t lose self-belief and all through her restoration interval, she visualised scoring a century on return to worldwide cricket and guiding her group to convincing victories.

On the Kotambi Stadium on Tuesday, she turned her goals right into a actuality.

As Harleen scored her maiden worldwide century, five-and-a-half years after her debut, she additionally grew to become the primary centurion on the model new Kotambi Stadium. By her personal admission, Harleen didn’t know in regards to the document whereas batting, however the historic metropolis of Vadodara has been particular to her. A lot earlier than her 115-ball-103 towards the West Indies within the second girls’s ODI, Harleen loved success on this metropolis with common scores on the nationwide zonal tournaments. “I scored a lot of runs here and eventually got picked for the India A tour,” she mentioned.

Whereas these reminiscences are nonetheless contemporary in her thoughts, for Harleen, it wasn’t simple to make her presence felt on the worldwide area after coming back from an extended harm lay-off. The backing of captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been a blessing for her. Coach Amol Muzumdar, too, has been round – guiding her out of the woods. Regardless of some mediocre scores throughout the ODI collection towards Australia earlier this month, the group administration didn’t quit on her. In reality, on the eve of the second girls’s ODI, Muzumdar addressed the group the place he instructed Harleen to think about that she had scored a fifty or 100 the subsequent day.

And, she saved her phrase.

“Amol sir told me after the (team) meeting: ‘Just imagine that you are scoring a fifty or a hundred (tommorrow). So, obviously, I didn’t know that I had that capability. I felt really good that (Amol) Sir and Harry (Harmanpreet)  di showed that confidence in me. (When) You are coming from an injury, you need that support. So, I’m very happy,” Harleen mentioned.

It took Harleen Deol 31 innings to achieve the maiden ton, and regardless of being within the set-up for a very long time.
| Picture Credit score:
VIJAY SONEJI / THE HINDU

It took Harleen Deol 31 innings to achieve the maiden ton, and regardless of being within the set-up for a very long time.
| Picture Credit score:
VIJAY SONEJI / THE HINDU

It took her 31 innings to achieve the maiden ton, and regardless of being within the set-up for a very long time, her data on the worldwide stage weren’t all that spectacular, with simply three fifties and a highest of 77. Whereas questions have been raised, again and again, over her future, Harleen proved her mettle towards the West Indies as she made essentially the most of a reprieve and went all weapons blazing to not solely attain the three digits but in addition pave the best way for her group’s big win.

She, nonetheless, calls it ‘God’s plan’.

“It’s not always (about) how you plan things. It’s just God’s plan. You just have to keep believing it, keep having trust in him. That’s the only thing. You can’t think… I can also say that I wish I score a century in each of the next 10 matches. It can happen too,” she mentioned with a smile.

Whereas she isn’t certain if this century would be the turning level in her profession, for Harleen it’s about staying grounded and having fun with the wholesome competitors – particularly at a time when the Ladies’s ODI World Cup is only a few months away and there might be cut-throat competitors for a spot within the squad.

“I feel that it’s a healthy competition. I just see myself as a competitor, because when you come out of an injury, when you are out of cricket for a long time, your mindset completely shifts towards what your preparation is. How you see things. So, I see things very differently. I feel that you get what God gives you at a certain time. When you get that, it’s only meant for you, and not anyone else will get it,” she mentioned.

“Obviously, the (ODI) World Cup is around. You want to do well. I’m someone who leaves everything to God…”

Lacking out on the Asia Cup, T20 World Cup and fairly just a few bilateral tournaments weren’t simple for Harleen, however whereas present process rehabilitation, she knew sometime she is going to come again and let her bat do the speaking.

She did come again, stronger and mightier. So did her willow!