“WPL has brought a lot of changes in me, especially in the way I think. Earlier, there were certain limitations,” Harmanpreet told reporters here on Wednesday.
“MI have been winning IPL titles for so many years and are focused solely on the win. I have also started thinking about changing mindsets, and it has reflected wherever I went,” the 36-year-old, who recently led India to a famous triumph in the Women’s ODI World Cup, added.
Harmanpreet has the support of an all-female staff this season in head coach Lisa Keightley, mentor and bowling coach Jhulan Goswami, batting coach Devika Palshikar, fielding coach Nicole Bolton, and spin-bowling coach Kristen Beams.
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“I have been coaching elite teams for 20 years and have never had a full-female coaching panel. It’s great for our players. I am a big believer in ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’. To have a female leader in a powerful position making decisions like Mrs. Nita Ambani, team owner and the first Indian woman to join the International Olympic Committee, also plays a part in this. It has filtered down from the top,” Keightley said.
For Jhulan, who also straddles mentorship roles in domestic cricket, the WPL has been a game-changer.
“Our domestic girls play many tournaments, but the recognition isn’t as much as the WPL. Here, if you play well, you’re a step away from the national team. It’s a huge opportunity, and the girls now understand this very well. It’s the best thing to have happened to the women’s game in the past three years,” she said.
Published on Jan 07, 2026
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