‘I just wanted to bat as long as possible...’: Harmanpreet Kaur breaks down after stellar knock against Zimbabwe

Raipur: Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was overcome with emotion after ending her prolonged lean patch with a blistering unbeaten 91 off just 41 balls against Zimbabwe in the third and final T20I here.

The 37-year-old had gone 10 matches without scoring a half-century and struggled to make an impact with the bat in the Women's T20 Asia Cup and the Asian Games, despite India winning both tournaments comfortably.

Harmanpreet, who stepped down as India's captain across formats earlier this month, appeared relieved to rediscover her form. Speaking to the host broadcaster during the innings break, she said, "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."

Her emotions surfaced again during a post-innings conversation with the on-air commentators. Harmanpreet broke down while speaking to WV Raman, the former head coach of the Indian women's team.

"I just wanted to bat as long as possible, and glad that I was able to do that. I think I should give credit to you also (to WV Raman).

"The moment we came, you stepped in and you said, 'Now you do what you want to do,' and that's what I want to do, and really want to enjoy myself. Thanks for those words."

Harmanpreet also said stepping down as captain had helped her approach the game without the pressure of leadership responsibilities.

"I don't think there is any pressure anymore. Now it's all about going out there and enjoying myself on the field, and that's exactly what I want to do," she said.

The right-handed batter struck 10 fours and five sixes during her explosive knock, finding the boundary with authority, including through several powerful shots down the ground. She also credited her hard work in the nets and the support of her batting coach for the turnaround.

"After the Asian Games, I got some time in the nets. I really want to thank Himanshu bhaiya (her batting coach), who's been working really hard on me, and today's batting was all him."

Reflecting on her innings after the match, Harmanpreet said an early boundary helped her settle in and build confidence at the crease.

"I think I hit the (second) ball for four, and that was when I realised it was a good pitch where the ball was coming on nicely to the bat. I gained a lot of confidence from that shot, so I just thought, 'Let me keep going and see how it goes'," she said.

Emphasising the importance of maintaining her batting rhythm, she reiterated her commitment to working on her game and acknowledged the efforts of those who had supported her.

"Batting is key for me, and I just want to keep working on it and repeating those processes in the nets. I really want to give credit to my batting coach (Himanshu Chawla), Manju bhaiya (Munish Bali), who have been working very hard with me and understand the kind of batting I can do." (PTI)