Indian all-rounder Harleen Deol recently reflected on her meeting with former India captain MS Dhoni, describing how his words of encouragement helped her recover mentally from a serious knee injury.

The 27-year-old, who suffered the injury while playing for Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League last year, was sidelined for nearly six months before making her comeback during India’s tour of Australia. During that time, she had a memorable encounter with Dhoni in Ranchi.

“I got injured around the time he was in Ranchi. Everyone wanted to meet him, and when he heard about my injury, he reached out himself. He called me, and we ended up having a long, meaningful chat,” Harleen said in an ICC video.

She added that the interaction came at a time when she was struggling both physically and mentally. “It was incredible — especially at a time when things weren’t going well for me. He gave me so much motivation that day, and it was truly special,” she said.

Harleen had later shared a post describing the meeting as “surreal,” calling Dhoni not just her idol as a player but also as a person. “Have idolised you as a player but after meeting you I am gonna idolise you as a person as well,” she wrote on social media.

Now back in form at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, Harleen has scored 94 runs in two matches at an average of 47. Her composed innings of 46 against Pakistan and 48 against Sri Lanka have played a key role in India’s strong start to the tournament.

As India prepare to face South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, Harleen will look to build on her promising performances and continue contributing to India’s World Cup campaign — carrying the inspiration of her “Captain Cool” moment into every innings.