Okay, so yesterday morning I was scrolling through cricket highlights with my coffee, totally zoning out, when this Harleen Deol catch from 2022 popped up. Absolute stunner – remember? That boundary dive where she face-planted but held on? Yeah, that one. Made me realize I didn’t know squat about her actual batting stats beyond flashy moments.
Why I Dug Into the Data
Grabbed my laptop thinking “right, time to fix this”. Started simple: pulled up cricket stat sites (no clue why most make it feel like solving algebra though). Wanted raw numbers only – runs, partnerships, strike rates in crucial games. Not just the century everyone talks about.
How I Filtered the Records
First, dumped every inning she ever played into my spreadsheet. Messy! Then cut noise with these rules:
- Only matches where she faced 20+ balls counted – no cameos.
- Prioritized games where her runs actually changed match pressure.
- Threw out tournaments against weaker teams – needed legit opposition.
Sorted the spreadsheet by impact, not just runs. Manually re-watched key partnerships too – stat sites never show how she farmed strike with tailenders.
The Top 5 That Actually Matter
After three hours and cold coffee? These five made my final cut:
- That 58 against Australia where she saved us from 14/3 – textbook crisis batting. Strike rate didn’t dazzle but saved the innings.
- 2019 WC partnership records with Poonam Yadav at #10! Scored 68% of their 42-run stand. Pure grit.
- Her T20 knockout 46 off 28 balls chasing. No boundaries until last 3 overs – then smashed everything.
- Fastest fifty for her domestic side – 28 balls flat. Forgotten because we lost that game, but pure fire.
- The 188-run ODI marathon partnership. Everyone focuses on Mandhana’s century – Harleen anchored for 85 at 70% strike rotation.
What Got Left Out & Final Thoughts
Almost included her first fifty – scrapped it ’cause it was against a B-team attack. Point is? Her real gold is crisis moments and messy partnerships. Stats show it but highlights ignore it. Anyway, gonna track her next series with deeper respect now. Pro tip: dig beyond centuries.
