"Intelligence, temperament, technique and excellent shot selection" - Reema Malhotra lauds Harmanpreet Kaur's knock in MI's win against GG

Reema Malhotra has lauded Harmanpreet Kaur for playing a match-winning knock in the Mumbai Indians' (MI) Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 clash against the Gujarat Giants (GG).

Harmanpreet smashed 51 runs off 30 deliveries as MI set a 163-run target for GG after being asked to bat first at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, March 14. Their bowlers then never allowed the Giants to gain any momentum in their chase and restricted them to 107/9 to complete a comprehensive 55-run win.

During a post-match discussion on Sports 18, Malhotra was asked about her thoughts on Harmanpreet Kaur's knock, to which she responded:

"I saw intelligence, temperament, technique and excellent shot selection in this knock. This is what you call building an innings and making a match. She first read the surface and saw how much the ball was turning and stopping."

The former Indian all-rounder praised the Mumbai Indians skipper for playing a responsible knock, explaining:

"I would say smart batting, and the maturity was seen when Harmanpreet Kaur came to bat. Earlier, she used to come and hit straightaway. She stopped herself from doing that. She understood how important it was for her to stay at the crease."

Harmanpreet came to the crease at the fall of Nat Sciver-Brunt's wicket, with the Mumbai Indians' score reading 75/2 after 11 overs. Although MI lost Yastika Bhatia's wicket soon thereafter, the Indian skipper strung together a 51-run fourth-wicket partnership with Amelia Kerr to take her side to a decent total.

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"When it was required to be cautious, she did so" - Reema Malhotra on Harmanpreet Kaur

Harmanpreet Kaur scored her third half-century in WPL 2023. [P/C: wplt20.com]

Reema Malhotra highlighted how Harmanpreet played as per the demands of the situation, stating:

"When you spend some time on the surface, you can score runs as you wish, and that is what we saw. When it was required to be cautious, she did so, and when it was required to change gears, she did that as well."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by appreciating the middle-order batter for making the most of her excellent form, saying:

"That is why she is an extremely special player and I have the belief from the beginning that as a player, when you are in form, make full use of it and that is what Harmanpreet Kaur is doing."

Harmanpreet struck seven fours and two sixes during her innings. She was content to hit grounded shots for the majority of her knock, with both her sixes coming in the penultimate over of the innings.