India captain Harmanpreet Kaur added another landmark to her illustrious career during the Women’s T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday, becoming India’s leading run-scorer in the history of the tournament. Harmanpreet entered the high-profile contest level with former India captain Mithali Raj on 726 runs in Women’s T20 World Cups. It took just one delivery for the veteran batter to move clear at the top of the Indian charts and claim the record outright. The milestone came during a crucial innings for India after an early wobble left the team struggling at 18/2. With openers Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues back in the pavilion, Harmanpreet joined vice-captain Smriti Mandhana in the middle and helped steady the innings. The experienced pair produced a vital 91-run partnership for the third wicket, rebuilding India’s innings and putting Pakistan’s bowlers under pressure. While Mandhana dominated with a stylish 68 off 44 balls, Harmanpreet played the perfect supporting role with 36 from 35 deliveries. The India skipper mixed caution with aggression, using both the conventional sweep and slog sweep effectively as she kept the scoreboard moving. Along the way, she crossed Mithali’s tally to become India’s most prolific batter in Women’s T20 World Cup history. Mandhana’s elegant knock, featuring nine fours and two sixes, laid the foundation for a competitive total, while Harmanpreet’s contribution ensured India recovered strongly after the early setbacks. Although she fell for 36 when her flick off Pakistan captain Fatima Sana was caught by Natalia Pervaiz near the square-leg boundary, Harmanpreet had already etched her name into the record books. The achievement is another testament to Harmanpreet’s longevity and consistency on the global stage. Having featured in multiple editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup, she now stands alone as India’s highest run-scorer in the tournament’s history, surpassing one of the country’s greatest batters in Mithali Raj.
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