South Asians regard cricket as a religion. However, the term cricket solely refers to men's cricket. Women's cricket was almost non-existent in the past.

Women's cricket is expanding in nations such as England and Australia, where their separate boards actively promote the sport. However, the BCCI has shown no intention of promoting women's cricket. The BCCI is the largest cricketing board, and it can change the face of the game. After 15 years of IPL and much criticism, they have announced that women's IPL will begin next year.

Also Read : Women's Cricket and Patriarchy in Nepal: The Untold Story

Why does women's cricket struggle to make a big impact?

People are preoccupied with their work in this digital age. They hardly ever have time for the game. T20 cricket provides the enjoyment that cricket fans seek to renew their thoughts. Women's cricket trails far behind in terms of entertainment.

Even women's T20 matches are slow and low-scoring, and individuals nowadays who are preoccupied with their jobs will not enjoy this game. This is one of the main reasons why no broadcaster or sponsor will invest heavily. Women's cricket generates very little cash due to low viewership.

The girl who initiated taking women's cricket to the next level

Mithali Raj is to women's cricket what Sachin Tendulkar is to men's cricket. Mithali Raj is a superb player with numerous awards, but she has a low strike rate. Her strike rate has been a huge stumbling block for her.

But it's not that no player can hit as per the will and can be the face of the change. Let's meet Indian ODI & T20 Captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

Harmanpreet Kaur

Whenever the name Harmanpreet Kaur arises, the one thing that strikes everyone's mind is her knock of 171 vs. Australia in Worldcup Semifinal.

Harmanpreet Resemblance to MS Dhoni

Not only did MS Dhoni work for Indian Railways before making big to cricket, Harmanpreet to did the same when there was no central contact introduced for women. She used to practice in the morning and then return to work. Playing for railway and winning the domestic tournament gives life to her.

Harmanpreet fearless cricketer

"We were looking for youngsters who could hit a boundary at will," this was the line said by Anuja Jain, the former India captain and chairwoman of the India women's national selection committee at that time.

She added, "Harman came across as someone who was not afraid of losing her wicket, who was not content with simply rotating the strike."

The first sign of Aggressive Intent

Harmanpreet scored 4-0-10-0 on his World Cup debut against Pakistan at Bowral, just a day before her 20th birthday in 2009 WC. But her show with batting was yet to come, and that came against Australia.

Australia had never before lost a World Cup match versus India. Taking bat at No. 7, she smacked Ellyse Perry for ten of the first two balls in the 48th over. "The six slammed into the roof of the ground," explains Amita Sharma, the former India vice-captain who led Harmanpreet in India B's 2008 Challenger Trophy title-winning campaign. "When she came in to bat, I told her, 'Look, Harry, I've got my eye in; let me get back to strike,'" she said. She said, 'Okay, didi. I'll search for a single.' 'And then she goes dhoom, dhaam! on the first two balls, she sees! "If this is how you take singles, I'd prefer stay at the non-end," striker's I told her.

Harman always loved Australia as opposition and has an extra record against her. She was also the first Indian to play WBBL. Her season in Australia began with a scorching 28-ball 47. She concluded with a 59.6 average, the highest by a hitter in WBBL seasons with 12 innings or more, and was named Thunder's Player-of-the-Tournament.

A knock that no one can forget

Harmanpreet's 171 not out in the World Cup semi-final put her and the Indian women's squad into the consciousness of the average cricket fan. Her 115-ball innings blasted Australia, the undisputed champions of power-hitting in the women's game, in the gut in a display of savagery unsurpassed - before or since - by an Indian woman cricketer.

An effort that the Opponent praised

"She just pushed the bar high enough to see what's possible," says Alex Blackwell, Harmanpreet's captain at Sydney Thunder and coach at Lancashire Thunder in the Kia Super League. "In a tight situation, nearly single-handedly leading her side to the World Cup final... it's the best knock I've ever seen. Harmanpreet's accomplishments were astounding for someone with such a little body." As a thank you for her efforts, Blackwell gave Harmanpreet her playing shirt. Making the highest individual score in a women's World Cup knockout has been Harmanpreet's career highlight.

A Role Model

Harman is known for his attacking game, and she tried to initiate the lackluster women's cricket and change people thinking towards women's cricket. Many women idolize her and try to play an attacking game just like her; an example is Shefali Verma.

The Indian locker room is under transition. A crew that labored in anonymity for generations has recently attained something resembling celebrity. Amid these shifting circumstances, Harmanpreet faces a reckoning as she strives for improved batting consistency and to transition from captain to leader and role model. "Cricket ke ilaawa Mujhe kuch ata nahi [I know nothing else besides cricket]. But when I'm done with cricket, I'd like to do all I can in my limited capacity to make it easier for ladies enjoying sports in India."

It's difficult to picture Harmanpreet becoming the statistical behemoth some of her colleagues are or breaking as many records as some of her younger teammates predict. She will, however, most likely leave a legacy that transcends typical measurements. "People may remember me for 171, for higher and worse scores. Inns from the past and future. The only thing I've ever desired is to hit the game-winning shot. It doesn't matter if it's a single or a six; my dream is to be the one who drives in the winning runs for my team."

Her Future Plans

She is already the face of change for women's cricket, especially in India. Harman has totally changed the instinct and aggression of play. After her retirement from cricket, she plans to make the journey of girls easier who want to play cricket.