Harman earns rich praise ahead of breakthrough milestone

History comes in the group stage of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup as India's fearless leader Harmanpreet Kaur breaks through to become cricket's first ever 200-gamer in T20 Internationals.

The moment will be realised as she leads India in their all-important clash against South Africa at Old Trafford that will have major ramifications for how Group A shakes out.

India are looking to keep pace with Australia and move a step closer to progressing to the knockout stage.

It just so happens that the now-37-year-old also played her first T20I in Manchester, 17 years ago, in a full circle moment for India's captain.

“She's a role model for almost all cricketers globally," India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi said, paying tribute to Kaur.

"I think Harman is a top-level athlete. The way she has conducted herself over the years, she's been a role model throughout.

“She's been a performer in any format. Work ethics-wise, she keeps on working on the basics. She shares a lot of experience with the youngsters. So that also is a dimension where she comes in."

South Africa all-rounder Chloe Tryon, a teammate at the Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League, drew inspiration from Harmanpreet's class through her own development as an aspirational cricketer.

"It's been remarkable to watch her journey, when I was a small girl as well, just looking up to big players," Tryon told media ahead of their Women's T20 World Cup clash.

"I’ve had the opportunity to play alongside her, watch her do her thing. She's been a role model for so many people around the world.

"To see her still playing cricket is amazing, and leading from the front, which is really good to see. I don't know how many more she can push through, but look, it's great to see how the women's game has grown and how she's taken the game forward.”

India will look to win a third straight World Cup game and remain unbeaten alongside Australia.

South Africa, meantime, have already registered one defeat for the tournament, which raises the urgency for them heading into what will be the 18th game of the T20 World Cup. The South Africans will carry confidence from their 4-1 bilateral series win between the sides in April.

"Those five games that we played in South Africa taught us a lot," India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi continued.

“Especially when you lose the series, you tend to reflect a lot into it and find out the grey areas where we needed to work on.

“I think as a bowling unit, as an entire group, they discussed a lot of stuff amongst themselves, with us, and they have come up with the conclusions that where we went wrong, and we have addressed that into the camps and matches.”

Meanwhile, the second edition of the ICC Women's Cricket Week will run from June 21-28 this year and will coincide with the ongoing ICC Women's T20 World Cup held in England and Wales.

Backing up the success from the inaugural edition in 2025, the initiative showcases and supports the growth of women’s cricket and encourages national governing bodies to participate in meaningful and locally relevant ways.

By leveraging the biggest event in women’s cricket to drive local women’s cricket objectives, ICC Women’s Cricket Week’s vision is to enhance the visibility, profile, and participation of women in cricket around the world.

Almost 60 members have signed up to celebrate the Women’s T20 World Cup, from organising criiio festivals and clinics to holding watch parties, showcasing the truly global appeal of the Women’s T20 World Cup, as the best in the game compete from June 12 to July 5.

A number of Full Members have already committed to the new campaign, with the likes of Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan running initiatives for the awareness and support of women’s cricket.

• Cricket Australia, in partnership with Northern Territory Cricket, will run an all-girls social cricket event featuring coloured powder, batting with water balloons filled with colour as a way to make cricket more appealing to young girls.

• Sri Lanka will organise cricket coaching festivals for U16 girls in five districts across the country aligned to the Women’s T20 World Cup.

• In Pakistan, more than 150 female university students in Lahore and more than 100 U19 players in Karachi will be engaged in coaching opportunities and friendly cricket matches.

From Eswatini to PNG, Oman to Mongolia, Côte d’Ivoire to Brazil, many Associate Members have also shown their support, with two key areas targeted.

• Watch Parties to bring communities together and increase awareness of women’s cricket.

• Women’s Participation Events including festivals and competitions under the ICC’s criiio programme.