How Harmanpreet Kaur Rewrote The History Of Indian Cricket

India is known globally for its cricket craziness. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the world’s richest cricket board. But ironically, women cricketers had to struggle for years to prove their worth. Then came 2025. India lifted the much-anticipated Women's Cricket World Cup under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur. The moment was more than a sporting achievement for India. It was the culmination of the journey of all those women who dream of playing for India, and that of the playing eleven.

From a small town in Punjab to becoming one of the most recognisable faces in Indian sport, Harmanpreet Kaur’s story is not just about scoring runs or winning trophies. It is about helping an entire sport find its place in the national conversation.

After the win, she told Reuters, “We have been talking about this for many years — we’ve been playing good cricket, but we had to win one big tournament… Without that, we couldn’t talk about change. At the end of the day, fans and the audience want to see their favourite team win.”

On this achievement, former captain Mithali Raj took to X, “I’ve seen this dream for over two decades, to watch the Indian women lift that World Cup trophy.”

But it was not just about the game. The World Cup win also changed the commercial landscape around women's cricket. For years, endorsement opportunities in Indian cricket were largely concentrated around male cricketers. However, the success of the women's team created a new market.

According to Reuters, brands across sectors including cosmetics, mobile phones and automobiles began approaching women cricketers after India's World Cup triumph. Harmanpreet Kaur, already one of the most recognisable faces in the sport, emerged as a major beneficiary of this shift. She has endorsed brands such as Boost, Dream11, Punjab National Bank, Puma and more. As per media reports, her current net worth lies somewhere between Rs. 24 and Rs. 26 Cr.

But the commercial achievement doesn’t belong to her alone. By the time she lifted the World Cup in 2025, women cricketers were leading franchise teams, signing endorsement deals and drawing crowds that were once unimaginable.

The transformation was not limited to sponsorships and visibility. In 2022, the BCCI announced equal match fees for contracted men and women cricketers to introduce pay parity. Under the policy, women players became eligible to receive the same match fees as their male counterparts across Tests, One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals. While the decision was the result of years of advocacy and progress within the sport, it reflected how dramatically women's cricket had evolved during Harmanpreet Kaur's career. From fighting for recognition to competing on equal financial terms at the international level, the change marked a significant milestone for the game in India.

Few players get to witness their sport transform during their careers. Even fewer help drive that transformation. Harmanpreet Kaur did both.

The growing commercial interest reflected a broader acceptance of women as sports stars and mainstream brand ambassadors rather than niche sporting figures.

The Innings That Changed Everything

In July 2017, Harmanpreet Kaur walked in against Australia in the semi-final of the ICC Women's World Cup with India under pressure. What followed remains one of the greatest innings in the history of women's cricket. She smashed an unbeaten 171 off just 115 balls, including 20 fours and seven sixes, helping India post 281 and secure a place in the final.

The knock was watched by millions and introduced a new audience to women's cricket. Former players and commentators compared its impact to Kapil Dev's iconic 175 during the 1983 Men's World Cup.

From Moga To The World Stage

Long before the endorsements and global recognition, Harmanpreet Kaur's journey began in Moga, Punjab. Encouraged by her father, Harmandar Singh, she pursued cricket at a time when opportunities for girls in the sport were limited.

Her career has been marked by consistent recognition both in India and globally. In 2017, she received the Arjuna Award for her contribution to cricket. Recently, the Indian government has honoured her with the Padma Shri. She was also recognised as CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in 2025.

Her influence expanded beyond the sport in 2023 when she became the first Indian woman cricketer to be named among Wisden's Cricketers of the Year. The same year, she was featured in TIME100 Next and BBC's 100 Women list, reflecting her growing global impact.

In 2016, Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian woman cricketer to sign for an overseas T20 franchise when she joined the Sydney Thunder in Australia's Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). At a time when Indian women cricketers had limited exposure to global franchise cricket, her move represented a breakthrough moment. Later, she became the captain of the women’s team of Mumbai Indians.

What makes Harmanpreet Kaur relevant beyond statistics is the change she represents. She belongs to the generation that helped move women's cricket from the margins of Indian sport into the mainstream. Today, young girls grow up seeing women cricketers on billboards, leading franchise teams and competing in sold-out tournaments.

That visibility did not exist when the winning captain started her career. Her journey reflects how persistence can gradually change an entire ecosystem. The biggest lesson from her story is that success is not always measured by personal milestones alone. Sometimes, it is measured by the opportunities created for those who come next.

The Legacy Beyond Cricket

Every generation gets a few athletes who leave their sport bigger than they found it. Harmanpreet Kaur belongs to that category.

She did not just win matches for India. She helped change how India sees women in cricket. She played through an era when women's cricket struggled for recognition and stayed long enough to witness packed stadiums, franchise leagues and brands competing to associate with women cricketers.

The true measure of her impact will not be found in record books. It will be found in the thousands of girls who pick up a bat or ball believing that cricket is as much their game as anyone else's. Long after the celebrations of 2025 fade, that belief may prove to be Harmanpreet Kaur's most enduring contribution.