Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first ever Indian player to win WBBL player of the tournament award

The captain of the Indian women’s T20I team, Harmanpreet Kaur, has become the first Indian player ever to win the player of the tournament award in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) which is considered the biggest franchise league in women’s cricket.

Harmanpreet had been struggling with her form for a long time before the WBBL of this year, but she, all of a sudden, flicked the switch in WBBL and found her touch with both bat and all as her tally of 399 runs and 15 wickets in the league stage earned her the biggest individual award of the tournament.

Before Harmanpreet Kaur, only Sophie Devine and Amy Satterthwaite are the other two foreign players who have won the player of the tournament award in WBBL. Devine, however, has won it twice for her all-round performances.

Harmanpreet, who is representing Melbourne Renegades women’s team in this year’s WBBL, has enjoyed some of the true pitches in Australia as she is a player who always prefers to play her shots on the rise and is at her best when the surface has true bounce.

“I’m extremely delighted, it’s something very big that I have achieved. I’m very thankful to my team and all the support staff,” Harmanpreet said in a statement quoted by ANI after being declared the player of the tournament.

Melbourne Renegades need Harmanpreet Kaur at her best in playoffs and final too

Melbourne Renegades still need Harmanpreet at her best in the next couple of games as they are facing Adelaide Strikers women’s team in the playoffs tomorrow and if they win that game, they will have Perth Scorchers as their opponents in the final.

However, Harmanpreet’s performance in the playoffs and the final won’t have any bearing on her player of the tournament award as WBBL jury, which includes on-field umpires officiating in all the games, decides the player of the tournament based on the performances of the players in the league stage and not in the playoffs.