WPL 2023: Harmanpreet Kaur finally topples nemesis Meg Lanning by leading Mumbai Indians to title win

The win helped Harmanpreet finally topple her nemesis Lanning in a knockout game. The captaincy rivalry between the two started back in 2020, when Lanning-led Australia thrashed Kaur’s India by 85 runs in front of a record crown in the final T20 World Cup at the MCG.

The legendary Australia Women captain then spoiled Harmanpreet-led India’s party in the Gold Medal match of the first-ever Commonwealth Games Women’s Cricket Competition in Birmingham, 2022. Chasing 162, India fell nine short of the target despite Harmanpreet scoring 65 off 43.

In the third round, Lanning’s Australia knocked out Harmanpreet’s India yet again in a knockout game. Batting first, Australia posted 172/4 in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa. In reply, again led a fight before unluckily getting out after scoring 52 off 34.

Trying to steal a double, the right-hander’s bat got stuck in the crease as Alssa Healy dismantled the stumps in a lightning quick fashion. After Harmanpreet’s departure, the team crumbled under pressure and failed to win the match despite needing 39 off 30 and later 20 off 12.

India Women lost that close encounter by five runs. However, the tables turned at the Brabourne Stadium in the WPL 2023 final and Mumbai, who were in need of five runs off the last six balls, sealed the deal with a four on the third delivery of the final over.

Lanning losing a rare knockout match, especially a final, saw Harmanpreet finally getting past her curse of narrowly failing to cross the line time and again. The Punjab-born superstar is now the first-ever captain to win the WPL. The Indian skipper would now be hoping for similar results against Lanning in ICC tournaments as well.