Harmanpreet Kaur made her comeback in the first ODI against West Indies in Baroda on Sunday after being out for a while. She had to sit out the last T20Is against the West Indies because of an injury, which India managed to win 2-1 under the leadership of Smriti Mandhana, who stepped in as the stand-in captain.

Harmanpreet Kaur talks about her battle with injury

India clinched the match with a solid 211-run victory, thanks to Renuka Singh's impressive five-wicket haul. After the game, Harmanpreet shared some insights about her recent injury struggles. During the post-match chat, she mentioned, “I really have to give a shoutout to our physio team; they’ve been putting in a lot of effort. I’ve been dealing with knee issues for the past 3-4 months, so a huge thanks to them for getting me back on track.”

She also acknowledged the contributions of their fielding coach, expressing her satisfaction with the team's performance. “Smriti's batting has been phenomenal. It looks effortless, but it’s definitely not. Renuka has been bowling brilliantly for years, and today was something special. We’ve been focusing on our fielding, and the improvements from the last series to now have been fantastic. The facilities in India are top-notch, and we love playing in our home conditions. The ground is beautiful, and we’re really thankful to the BCCI for their support,” she added.

In the match, India set a target of 315 runs and bowled out the West Indies for just 103 in 26.2 overs. Besides Renuka’s five wickets, Priya Mishra contributed with two. In the first innings, Mandhana scored a solid 91 runs off 102 balls, hitting 13 fours, leading India to a total of 314/9 in 50 overs. Debutant Pratika Rawal also made a mark with 40 runs off 69 balls.

As they gear up for the second ODI, the West Indies will be looking to step up their batting after a rough outing on Sunday. Their top four batters all fell for single digits, with the openers getting out for ducks. India certainly owes a lot to Renuka for her outstanding performance, finishing with figures of 5/29 and preventing the West Indies from gaining any momentum in their chase.

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