In a rapidly developing world Women’s Premier League (WPL) 202624 hours can feel like a lifetime. On January 15, Dr. in Navi Mumbai. DY Patil Sports Academy, Harleen Deol presented a masterclass on resilience during Match 8 UP Warriors (UPW) and Mumbai Indians (MI). A day after being at the center of a retirement controversy that sparked heated debate on social media, the 27-year-old all-rounder responded to his critics and perhaps his own team management with a brilliant unbeaten 64.
Harleen Deol opens up on WPL 2026 retirement controversy
The atmosphere was tense as UP Warriorz went to chase 162 against the defending champions. After the tactical decision of the head coach, all eyes were on Harley Abhishek Nayar “retiring him” for 47 runs in the previous game against Capitals of Delhi. The move is designed to bring in the power-hitter Chloe Tryonit backfired as the team lost momentum. However, during the post-match presentation after defeating MI, Deol showed remarkable maturity on the occasion.
“It’s a good feeling, happy for the first win for the team. In fact, I fought well yesterdayDeol admitted with a quiet smile at the post-match presentation. Referring to the tactical substitution, he added:As you can see today, how Chloe can change the script. I just took it like that. He is a big hitter but it just didn’t go our way yesterday. That’s how I look at it.”
Harleen emphasized that her preparation remained unchanged despite the noise. “Today is no different. I just got a couple of boundary balls, sometimes it’s just your day. Normal preparation for me… no point in stressing about it (retired). The first two games didn’t go my way. I used to overshoot. It wasn’t the door to do it,” Harleen concluded.
Deol’s unbeaten match winning performance
While the “retired” saga dominated the headlines, Harley’s performance on the field was the real story. Chasing a competitive set of 161/5 by Mumbai – supported by Nat Sciver-Brunt‘s 65 – UP Warriorz needed a steady but aggressive anchor. Harleen stepped into this role perfectly and scored 64 from just 39 balls*.
His shots were a clinic in timing over power. He peppered the outer boundary with surgical precision, finding gaps that were not available to others. His knock included 12 boundaries, many of them flowing cover drives and clever late cuts that forced the MI bowlers to look for answers.
He formed a vital partnership with the 73rd Phoebe Litchfield (25) Before hooking up with Chloe Tryon. In a poetic twist of fate, two of the previous day’s replacements put on an unbeaten 44-run stand to seal an 11-ball 7-wicket win.
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This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
