Harmanpreet Kaur is an Indian cricketer who plays for the India women's national cricket team. A right-handed batter and right-arm off-break bowler, she is known for her aggressive middle-order batting and has served as captain of the Indian women's team across formats. She is widely regarded as one of the leading all-rounders in women's cricket.
| Full name | Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 March 1989, Moga, Punjab, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm off break |
| Role | All-rounder |
| National side | India |
| Captaincy | India women (T20I and ODI) |
| Domestic team | Punjab; Indian Railways |
Harmanpreet was born and raised in Moga, a town in the Malwa region of Punjab. She trained at a local academy under coach Kamaldheesh Singh Sodhi and was strongly encouraged in cricket by her father, Harmandar Singh Bhullar, a former club-level basketball and volleyball player. She began her career playing for Punjab in domestic cricket and later joined Indian Railways, which has long supported women cricketers through stable employment.
Harmanpreet made her One Day International debut for India in 2009 against Pakistan during the ICC Women's World Cup in Bowral, Australia. She made her Twenty20 International debut the same year and her Test debut against England in 2014.
She first captained India in 2012 in a T20I against Bangladesh when senior players were unavailable. She was later appointed full-time T20I captain in 2016 and assumed the ODI captaincy after the retirement of Mithali Raj.
Harmanpreet has played in several overseas T20 leagues. In 2016 she became the first Indian woman to sign for Australia's Women's Big Bash League, joining the Sydney Thunder. She has subsequently played for the Lancashire Thunder and Manchester Originals in England, and other franchises in Australia. With the launch of the Women's Premier League (WPL) in India in 2023, she was retained as captain of the Mumbai Indians, leading the side to the title in the inaugural season.
Harmanpreet's 171* in the 2017 World Cup semi-final is widely credited with raising the public profile of women's cricket in India and accelerating investment in the women's domestic structure, including the launch of the WPL. Her long captaincy tenure has coincided with India's emergence as a consistent contender in ICC and multi-sport tournaments.