‘If I wanted to pick up a bottle of water, I could not’ – Harleen Deol recalls tough times after scoring maiden international ton

‘If I wanted to pick up a bottle of water, I could not’ – Harleen Deol recalls tough times after scoring maiden international ton (Photo Source: Jan Kruger-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Rising India Women star Harleen Deol slammed her maiden international century in the second ODI between India and the West Indies at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, on Tuesday, December 24. The right-handed batter scored 115 off 103 balls, guiding India to their joint-highest ODI total of 358/5. India went on to win the match by 115 runs as Harleen was fittingly adjudged Player of the Match.

It was a special moment for Harleen, who had suffered a knee injury earlier this year while playing a Women’s Premier League (WPL) clash for the Gujarat Giants against UP Warriorz. She was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the tournament, where the Giants finished at the bottom of the table. The 26-year-old recalled how she couldn’t walk properly or even pick up a bottle during her road to recovery. She appreciated her mother for always staying by her side during the difficult times.

“When I was there I was only thinking how happy my mother would be. When I was going through the injury, there were many around me, but my mom never got irritated as I could not walk. If I wanted to pick up a bottle of water, I could not,” Harleen said in a video on BCCI Women.

Jemimah Rodrigues, who was at the other end when Harleen reached the three-figure mark, said that she had seen the Chandigarh-born in tears during her rehabilitation phase. The Mumbai batter revealed that she got emotional when Harleen notched up her century.

“For those who don’t know, Harry had an ACL injury and, I remember, she had a surgery in Mumbai where I met her. All she had to do was get her legs straight for her rehabilitation. I remember sitting there and saw tears falling down Harry’s face. As a friend, I could not see it and from that day to now, I was so happy; I was at the non-striker’s end and I got extra emotional when she scored a hundred,” Jemimah said.

When you go through rehab, you become mentally strong: Harleen Deol

Besides, Harleen Deol also admitted that going through the rehabilitation program made her mentally stronger as she overcame small hurdles. Moreover, she also pointed out that sometimes too much planning can also hamper the recovery process. Hence taking it easy and small steps towards regaining full fitness is what worked for her in the long term.

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“When you go through rehab, you become mentally strong after you overcome the small challenges. We plan for a lot of things, but it doesn’t go that way. I am someone who takes one day at a time, enjoy the time and enjoy the moment,” Harleen added.

Harleen is the leading run-getter in the series against the West Indies, having amassed 159 runs from two matches at a staggering average of 79.50 and an impressive strike rate of 103.92. The third and final ODI is set to be played at the same venue on Friday, December 27, with India eyeing a whitewash.