Harmanpreet Kaur made 171 not out off 115 balls against Australia in the Women's World Cup semi-final — the highest score in a Women's World Cup knockout match, an innings so explosive it changed the commercial trajectory of women's cricket globally.
She hit 171 not out off 115 balls. Strike rate of 148. Against Australia's full-strength bowling attack including Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry. She hit 20 fours and 7 sixes — numbers that would be remarkable in any format.
India won by 36 runs. In the final against England at Lord's, India lost by just 9 runs. But the semi-final was the moment that mattered — not for the score but for what followed.
Viewership of Indian women's cricket increased by a factor of 10 in the months following the tournament. BCCI began paying women cricketers competitive central contracts. Harmanpreet became the face of a commercial revolution in Indian women's cricket.
Harmanpreet's fifty off 36 balls — acceleration beginning
Century off 68 balls — Australia's bowlers with no answer
171* off 115 — India qualified for their first Women's World Cup final since 2005
July 20, 2017
Women's World Cup semi-final, Derby
India's chase
Top order falls — Harmanpreet arrives with run rate against India
171* off 115 balls
India qualified for final — women's cricket changed
The innings that launched Indian women's cricket into the mainstream. Not just a great score — a cultural moment that changed the economic landscape of women's cricket in the world's most populous cricket nation.
Harmanpreet's 171 is women's cricket's equivalent of India's 1983 win in terms of cultural impact. Just as 1983 created the Indian men's cricket economy, 2017 created the commercial foundation for Indian women's cricket.
Australia vs West Indies
1960-12-14
The first tied Test in 86 years of cricket history — Australia and West Indies finished level on 737 runs each after five days of breathless cricket in Brisbane, producing one of the most dramatic finishes the game has ever seen.
India vs Australia
1986-09-22
Twenty-six years after Brisbane, cricket produced only its second tied Test — Dean Jones's heroic 210 through crippling heat and Dean Jones's fever, Ravi Shastri's unbeaten 48 and India needing 2 off the last over, only for Maninder Singh to be out lbw off the final ball.
Australia vs South Africa
1999-06-17
Lance Klusener smashed Australia to the brink of elimination, then ran out Allan Donald off the penultimate ball to tie the match — but Australia advanced to the final on superior run rate, ending South Africa's greatest World Cup campaign in devastating fashion.