On this day: Harmanpreet Kaur's brilliant 171* changes the course of women's cricket

Seven years ago, on July 20, Harmanpreet Kaur took the cricket world by storm with her incredible performance against Australia in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2017 semi-final. India Women won the toss and chose to bat first, but rain had reduced the game to 42 overs.

Despite this, India struggled early on, losing Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut within 10 overs. Captain Mithali Raj (36) then teamed up with Harmanpreet Kaur for a crucial 66-run partnership. Raj was out when India was at 101-3 after 25 overs.

Harmanpreet reached her fifty in 64 balls and then accelerated, scoring the next 50 runs in just 26 balls. She ended up with a stunning 171 not out off 115 balls, smashing 20 boundaries and seven sixes, helping India set a total of 281.

ONE OF THE GREATEST KNOCK EVER IN CRICKET HISTORY. 🇮🇳

Harmanpreet Kaur, against the mighty Australia, in a Semi-final, she smashed 171* runs from just 115 balls "OTD in 2017" in the World Cup. 🥶🔥 pic.twitter.com/eGQbqg6qit

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 20, 2024

Australia fought back with strong performances from Elyse Villani (75) and Alex Blackwell (90), but they fell short by 36 runs. Deepti Sharma took three wickets for India.

Despite losing to England by nine runs in the final, Harmanpreet Kaur’s innings had a lasting impact on Indian cricket. Here’s how:

#OTD
Harmanpreet Kaur played a most memorable inng of her career at the biggest stage of Cricket.
Women Cricket got the real hype after this knock 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IubVwiYsjT

— ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʀᴍᴀɴ ᴇʀᴀ⁷ (@TheHarmanEra) July 20, 2024

Boost in popularity and viewership

Harmanpreet Kaur’s historic knock led to a surge in interest and viewership for women’s cricket. The World Cup final between India Women and England Women on July 23, 2017, saw record-breaking ratings of 19.533 million impressions in India. The match and Harmanpreet’s innings helped elevate the profile of women’s cricket. The Indian team also reached the 2020 T20 World Cup final, with a remarkable 5.4 billion viewing minutes recorded across India.

Increased media coverage and player recognition

Harmanpreet Kaur’s innings led to better media coverage of women’s cricket. Journalists and media outlets began focusing more on women’s matches, including player performances, team strategies, and match analysis. This increased visibility helped spotlight exceptional performances and raise the profile of women’s cricket. The launch of the Women’s Premier League in 2023 has also provided more opportunities for players to showcase their skills and gain recognition.

Equal pay for Men and Women cricketers

In October 2022, the BCCI announced equal pay for all centrally contracted men’s and women’s cricketers. This decision marked a significant step towards gender equality in Indian cricket.

On July 20, 2024, the Indian team continued their journey in the Women’s Asia Cup, securing a seven-wicket victory against Pakistan in their first match.