Harmanpreet Kaur wants young India women to unleash their inner Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Harmanpreet Kaur has a message for India's young women cricketers: embrace the fearlessness and aggression that have made Vaibhav Sooryavanshi one of the most exciting young talents in the game. The India batter believes the teenager's approach can inspire the next generation of women cricketers to change the way the sport is played.
She shared her thoughts in Jaipur on Friday, November 13, as she unveiled her wax statue. The statue will be installed at the Historical Museum inside Nahargarh Fort, where it will stand alongside those of legendary Indian cricketers MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar.
"Yes, definitely, like right now he has set an example with the way he is playing cricket. And I'm sure that the new young girls coming up will also play aggressive cricket like this, and across the entire country and the entire world, they will change the image of women's cricket and try to play impressive cricket in the same way," Harmanpreet told reporters in Jaipur.
The former India captain believes Sooryavanshi's fearless approach could encourage young girls to be more expressive and positive with the bat, while helping women's cricket develop a more attacking identity.
At just 15, Sooryavanshi has already made a name for himself with his explosive batting. The Rajasthan Royals opener announced himself in the IPL in 2025, smashing a 101 off just 38 balls against Gujarat Titans. His century came off 35 deliveries, making him the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket and one of the fastest to reach the landmark in IPL history.
He continued to make headlines in 2026, scoring another IPL century β a 103 off 37 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Earlier this year, Sooryavanshi also broke Shafali Verma's record to become the youngest Indian to play international cricket when he made his debut during the tour of England.
Harmanpreet's comments come at a significant moment for Indian women's cricket. She led India to their maiden Women's ODI World Cup title in 2025, a landmark achievement that gave the team and the sport a major boost. Her wax statue in Jaipur is another recognition of her contribution to that historic campaign.
Harmanpreet stepped down as India's captain across all three formats in October but remains part of the team as a player. She will next be in action on India's all-format tour of South Africa in December, where the teams will play one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is. The Test begins in Gqeberha on December 9, followed by the ODI series from December 16.- Ends
