From retired-out to match-winning fifty: Harleen Deol’s incredible comeback in 24 hours

Cricket is an unpredictable game; anything can happen. If a player is having a bad day today, it doesn't guarantee that they will not have a better day tomorrow. This line fits perfectly with UP Warriorz star batter Harleen Deol. Just 24 hours ago, when she was batting on 47 runs off 36 balls, the team's head coach raised his arm and called her back to the pavilion, prompting considerable criticism. But just 24 hours later, Harleen made an incredible comeback with her bat, the only way she could answer. 

In the ongoing WPL 2026 against the Delhi Capitals women, when UP Warriorz coach Abhishek Nayar raised his arm at the end of the 17th over and asked her to retire her innings, she was batting on 47. At that moment, she was visibly upset. She even asked the coach and then her junior partner, Shweta Sehrawat, before accepting the call.

The call was totally understandable from the team's perspective. Harleen was struggling to score runs in the last few balls of that inning. Once, she was playing 39 off 26, but then she managed to add only 8 runs in the next 10 balls. After this, the decision was made. But it backfired. UP Warriorz’s other batters managed to add only 13 runs off the last 18 balls after ending Harleen's innings. 

Well, Harleen made a brilliant comeback in the next cricket match and hit a half-century. She scored 64 runs in 39 balls, including 12 boundaries. When she enters to bat, UP Warriorz find themselves in a middle muddle position against Mumbai Indians Women, after losing 2 wickets on 45 runs in 6.5 overs while chasing 162.

In this match, she looked totally different. She started her innings with 3 consecutive boundaries. She remained not out at the end, successfully managing to cross the finishing line for her team. Thanks to her brilliant innings, UP Warriorz registered their first victory of the season. 

After her brilliant innings, she spoke about redemption in the last 24 hours. Harleen Deol ignored the impact of the decision on her. In fact, she admitted that the event had increased her confidence.

"Nothing different," Harleen admitted. "I just got a few boundary balls, so I could convert them into boundaries. Sometimes it's just your day—that wherever you are thinking to hit, the ball comes there. It was that for me."

"Yesterday also I was batting well, but as you saw today, Chloe [Tryon] can change the scenario," Harleen said. "For me, I just took it that way: Chloe is someone who can hit big. [Yesterday, that decision] probably didn't go our way. There's no point in just keeping stressing on that thing.

"Honestly, yesterday gave me a lot of confidence because the first two games didn't go my way. I went on and figured out a few things. I was just trying to overhit. This wicket is not the kind that would reward overhitting; scoring requires more timing."