Harmanpreet creates history, becomes first cricketer ever to captain in 150 T20Is
In a remarkable achievement, Harmanpreet Kaur captained her 150th T20I match during the Women's Asia Cup against Pakistan, solidifying her status as a leading figure in women's cricket. Her focus remains on enjoying the sport rather than tallying numbers, and this milestone places her ahead of many celebrated male captains in T20I history.
On Saturday, Harmanpreet Kaur etched her name in cricket history by becoming the first cricketer, male or female, to captain in an unprecedented 150 T20I matches. The Indian captain achieved this remarkable feat during a Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A match against Pakistan in Dubai. India has already secured their spot in the semifinals and aims to conclude the group stage with a perfect record of three wins out of three.
Harmanpreet, a pivotal figure in India's T20I history, now proudly occupies the top spot on the list for the most matches as captain in the format. The second place is held by Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu with 121 matches, followed by Meg Lanning from Australia on 100 matches, and Heather Knight and Rwanda's Diane Bimenyimana, each with 96 matches under their belts.
In her post-momentum reflection, Harmanpreet downplayed the significance of the milestone, emphasizing the importance of continuing to enjoy the game. "Great achievement. But the key is to keep enjoying yourself on the field, and that is a key. I try to keep up with that," she stated when asked about leading India for the 150th time in T20Is.
Remarkably, Harmanpreet's achievement surpasses even the top men's captains in T20I cricket. Namibia's Gerhard Erasmus leads the men's list with 91 matches as captain, while former Indian captain MS Dhoni follows with 72 matches as captain, placing him ninth overall on the list. Pakistan opted to bat first against India in the match, with hopes of their second group-stage win after an opening victory over Thailand.
India, buoyed by wins over Thailand and Hong Kong, enters the contest as favorites to clinch the semifinals with a perfect record.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
