'As a kid I remember her smashing bowlers all over the park...': Shubman Gill recalls childhood memories of Harmanpreet Kaur ahead of Women's World Cup

India's Test captain Shubman Gill shared his memories of watching Harmanpreet Kaur play during their time at the same academy. Gill recalled being impressed by India women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet’s aggressive batting style, noting that she was known for hitting bowlers all over the park.

Shubman Gill recounts Harmanpreet Kaur's dominance

Harmanpreet Kaur is now preparing to lead the Indian women's team in the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, which begins on September 30. This will be her first time captaining the side in the prestigious tournament, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka.

“When I was about 10 or 11 years old, she used to come to the academy where I practiced outside and used to play matches with us. I clearly remember her smashing our bowlers all over the park. As a kid, that was a rare sight for me. She batted very aggressively, which was quite different from that time," Gill said on JioHotstar’s special show ‘Champions Wali Baat: Believe in Blue’.

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Joining Shubman Gill, other key players from the men's team, including T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, also shared their admiration and support for the women’s team.

Suryakumar, in particular, expressed his confidence in Jemimah Rodrigues, backing her to have a standout performance in the upcoming World Cup.

"When anyone rises through the ranks, especially from our region in Punjab, and goes on to captain the country, it is a huge and very proud moment. To see Harmanpreet doing that with such immense pride and joy is truly exciting. Playing the World Cup is a huge opportunity, and I’m sure she will deliver because she’s a great teammate, always helping everyone around. As we all have seen, she brings amazing energy to the ground as well," he added.

Meanwhile, Samson heaped praise on star wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh and said there is a lot to learn from her.

"We all love watching Richa Ghosh. The way she bats and keeps wickets, she always looks calm and confident. There is a lot to learn from her. Wearing the blue jersey in this country is never easy, and there’s been a lot of hard work behind the scenes," Samson said.

Hardik Pandya also wished the Women in Blue for the upcoming World Cup and said:

"I’m very excited and just want to wish the women’s team the best of luck. The whole of India is supporting you, and so are we. Go out there and enjoy the sport. Don’t worry too much, just be yourself. At the same time, remember that a billion people are backing you and sending their love.”