'Sporting culture of Australia fired us up'

Harmanpreet Kaur, a self-confessed social media addict, remembers being hooked to Cricket Australia's Women's Big Bash League page to follow all the updates of the initial stages of the inaugural season. A month later, in January 2016, she experienced the buzz from close quarters, when she toured with the Indian team for a limited-overs series.

Later this year, she will get an opportunity to play in the tournament, after signing with WBBL champions Sydney Thunder for the upcoming season. The path-breaking deal makes her the first Indian cricketer, male or female, to feature in Australia's Big Bash League.

"We knew it would be big, but didn't realise the WBBL would be such a huge hit until we got there earlier this year," Harmanpreet told ESPNcricinfo. "Whichever venue we visited, there was a lot of talk about the tournament. That internally motivated a lot of us, and it got us thinking, 'Right, if we do well like Australia have on the global stage, there is a possibility of an IPL-style league for women.' In many ways, the atmosphere and the sporting culture of Australia fired us up. Our T20 series win also boosted the morale of the entire team."

Harmanpreet remembers watching the final of the inaugural WBBL from her hotel room in Adelaide, a couple of days ahead of India's T20I series against the then Women's World T20 champions Australia. At the team's training session the following day, she was overwhelmed when her compatriots remarked that she was good enough to be playing in the tournament.

Two days later, on Australia Day and India's Republic Day, Harmanpreet proved why she was one of the most-improved players in the women's circuit when her unbeaten 31-ball 46 scripted India Women's highest chase in a T20I. Immediately after the knock, she received congratulatory messages from a number of franchises.

"That was when it dawned upon us that these performances were being noticed, because when I started, women's cricket was mainly about England, Australia and New Zealand," she said. "On that tour, the vibe was different. Generally, foreign tours mean a quiet arrival, followed by training and matches. But this time during our tour, there was a real buzz. Television channels were seeking reactions; fans were at the ground in big numbers. We were being recognised. I think our series win there contributed towards a lot of our names being put forward on the franchise shortlists."

Harmanpreet received offers from two other franchises, including Sydney Sixers, runners-up in the inaugural season, but said money wasn't the deciding factor. "Opportunities were what I was looking for," she said. "With just two overseas slots for foreign players, I was looking at sides where you have a chance to make XIs on a regular basis. With Thunder having just one overseas player, I thought that's where I could get maximum game time.

"Also, Stafanie Taylor, who will be my colleague there, is someone who I hugely admire. We started our careers around the same time, and being a fellow professional, I've followed her a lot of late. The manner in which she has carried West Indies single-handedly has been inspirational. Both of us are allrounders, so I'm looking forward to learning from her. The prospect of playing with Australia's best is also exciting."

Harmanpreet, who admires Australia's aggressive style of play, picked out fitness over skill as one of the major differences between India and the other top nations. Being in a professional structure, she said, would offer an opportunity to study how different professionals go about their work.

"As a team, we haven't played for four months since the World T20, so a lot of us are using this as an opportunity to work on our fitness," she said. "What we noticed at the tournament was, skill-wise, we are at par with the top sides. Things like running between the wickets, close-in catching, power-hitting is something we are working on."

Currently training in Pune under her personal coach, Harshal Pathak, Harmanpreet's routine ranges from yoga and strength-training, to endurance activities such as rope walks and a cross-fit routine, apart from her four-hour net sessions. Being part of an all-women ad campaign aimed at promoting women empowerment in India, Harmanpreet says, gave her a new perspective on how much women's cricket has grown in India.

"It has grown leaps and bounds, but we aren't able to sustain momentum," she said. "We did well in Australia, and the momentum was carried into the World T20. There was expectation on us for the first time. Now, it's been four months since we played. So, once again, we are back to building up to another event. Better scheduling will address that, but with the World Cup coming up next year, hopefully that will be addressed. Hopefully, a few others also playing in the WBBL will give us that much more exposure and make us a better team."