Story behind cricket sensation Harmanpreet Kaur’s jersey No 84

| India | 26 July 2017 | Asia Samachar |

By Anandpreet Kaur

India cricket sensation Harmanpreet Kaur bears the jersey number 84. There is a story behind the number.

“When she picked up her jersey, she chose the jersey number 84. For Punjabis, 84 brings back the memories of the 1984 riots,” Harmanpreet’s mother Sukhjeet Kaur told an Indian newspaper. “But she took it positively and now we also see it as a good sign for her…She dedicates all her victories to the victims of the riots.”

The 27 year old cricketer created history in 2016 when she became the first player from India to get a contract to play in an Australian league. She donned the Sydney Thunders jersey to compete in the Women’s (BBL), Australia’s domestic T-20 cricket league.

On 20 July 2017, the India women’s team all- rounder again created history for Indian cricket when she scored an unbeaten 171 runs from 115 balls with 20 fours and seven sixes coming in her rapid fire inning that thumped the Australian attack and created a big ask for them while batting second at Derby.

She also became just the second Indian woman to record a score of over 150 runs in ODIs.

Harmanpreet now has the highest score by an Indian in Women’s World Cups as she edged Mithali Raj’s 109 runs – which stood for just six days – against New Zealand in the crucial encounter that helped qualify the team for the semi-finals.

After news broke about about her Aussie debut, her father, Harmandar Singh Bhullar, told The Indian Express from her home in Moga: “Main shabda ch byaan nahi kar sakda apni khushi (I cannot describe my feelings on this achievement).”

“When she was born, had brought a suit with cricket words on it. Some years later, she started playing the game with boy trainees at the college ground. Initially, it was tough for us as the bats were costly and we could not afford them. But later, she would play for Punjab at a young age and also made her debut for the India while in high school.”

Harmanpreet was spotted by coach Kamaldeesh Singh Sodhi and would train under him at the Guru Nanak Public School, Moga, the report added. The cricketer would travel 20 km from her Basant Singh Road residence to Barapur Pind to practice and would later also travel to Ferozepur to play for the district in the Punjab state Championships. A fine performance in 2009 Challenger trophy meant she broke into the Indian women’s team for 2009 World T-20 Championships.

SSU to start cricket development programme (Asia Samachar, 5 July 2017)