Another WPL night, another star turn - it's 'the Harmanpreet Kaur era'

"Everyone is blessed that they are getting to see the Harmanpreet Kaur era."

That was the other Mumbai Indians (MI) Kaur, allrounder Amanjot, after their captain knocked off a second successive unbeaten half-century to ensure a second successive win for her team. And she might not be wrong.

Last year, Harmanpreet led MI to their second WPL title. More recently, she led India to their maiden World Cup title. And now, she is the leading run-scorer in WPL 2026.

Harmanpreet's 71 not out off 43 balls helped MI complete the second-highest chase in the WPL, against Gujarat Giants (GG) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday. It was a knock paced to perfection and oozed control and clarity, with MI's win not looking in doubt at any point despite the steep 193-run target, even after they had lost both their openers in the powerplay.

"Well I feel, in a tournament like this, every day you have to come and score 200 if you're batting first and if you're chasing, then again you have to chase these many runs, so I think that mindset is there," Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "Whenever you go, you know you have to bat for your team. So I think every day we go [out], we have to bat well and calculate what the team requires and accordingly we have to keep batting. So I think when you have that much clarity, you can just go execute [your plans]."

Harmanpreet went to the crease with the scoreboard reading 37 for 2 in the fifth over, joining forces with Amanjot, who was batting in a new role at No. 3 in the absence of Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was not available for the game.

The MI captain played second fiddle to start with, with Amanjot taking lead in a 72-run stand. Amanjot contributed 38 off 20 to the stand and Harmanpreet 33 off 23.

"When Harry di came, I told her to take her time and that I will go for it if I get a bad ball or something in the slot. We planned it like that because the total was big and we did not want that both of us start hitting," Amanjot said in the post-match press conference. "One had to stay and Harry di finished it."

At the end of the eighth over, MI's asking rate was nearing 11. But with Amanjot targeting Georgia Wareham and Tanuja Kanwar, Harmanpreet eased her way to 18 off 16. Then, she decided to join in on the fun.

Renuka Singh was reintroduced to the attack in the 11th over, having conceded just 12 runs in her first two for a wicket. But when she overpitched, Harmanpreet played arguably the shot of the match: she took a big stride forward, bent low, and ran her hands through the line, lofting the ball over mid-off for her first six.

Ashleigh Gardner, against whom Harmanpreet enjoys a favourable match-up, took a gamble and brought herself on to bowl the next over and on her fourth ball, Harmanpreet played another shot that had the crowd roaring. Harmanpreet danced down the track and launched the offspinner over cow corner - a shot reminiscent of one she played for India against Gardner in the 2025 ODI World Cup semi-final.

Maybe the shot brought back painful memories for Gardner, or more realistically, the match-up played on her mind, but the GG captain, who is yet to complete her quota of overs in any game this season, did not bowl again on the night.

"As long as she is [at the crease], there's not even a minute where [the opposition] fielders or captain will switch off," Amanjot said. "Like last year, Harry di made a 38-ball 99 (48-ball 95*, also against GG). Playing with her, there's no pressure. I have not batted much with her, but I knew that she was there, so I did not have to think too much about strike rate or that we are chasing a big total.

"If I did not get a boundary, she would score one or create the opportunity. Playing with her has helped improve my game awareness as well. As you watch her, you learn. For example, she hit Renuka over covers. It is difficult to hit an inswinger over covers. And she always middles the ball so I did not even look back, I knew it'll go for a six."

Amanjot was out on the first ball of the 13th over to Sophie Devine, and with Nicola Carey having just walked out to bat, Harmanpreet put away Kanwar for back-to-back boundaries to ensure the scoring rate didn't drop.

Harmanpreet's innings wasn't without its blemishes. The first of them came in the 15th over when she scythed one to point only for Ayushi Soni to palm the chance over as she stretched her arms above. Harmanpreet was already on 45 at that point, but with the required rate almost at 12, it was a big moment in the chase.

Carey then got going, continuing her good form in the season, as she hammered four boundaries in a 20-run over off Renuka. This allowed Harmanpreet to return to cruise control for the rest of the chase.

In the 17th over, Harmanpreet brought up her fifth half-century against GG, a team that she and MI both enjoy playing against. With 30 needed off 18 at that point, GG could have had Harmanpreet again, but Bharti Fulmali this time let the ball slip through her fingers running back from extra cover after the batter skied one off Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Harmanpreet made it worse for GG by hitting two boundaries over cover to end the over.

Harmanpreet offered another chance at the end of the 19th over, but Soni gave her another reprieve, before the MI captain sealed their highest ever chase with a boundary in the final over.

Harmanpreet is now the first Indian to cross 1000 runs in the WPL, and she also leapfrogged Meg Lanning to go second in the competition's all-time run charts, behind Sciver-Brunt. And with MI having not lost on the ten occasions that their skipper has scored a fifty, they will want her to continue her sublime form.

And it won't be anyone's surprise if she does.