Harmanpreet Kaur: You are no Harbhajan Singh to become DSP, Punjab police told the ace cricketer, remembers coach

All eyes in the country are eyeing on the Indian Women cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur and wishing for the same cracking magical performance — 171 not out against Australia in Women World Cup semifinals — by her against England at Lords on Sunday.

With every stroke she was playing on Thursday, Harmanpreet was becoming a sensation in the social media. Over the night she became a heartthrob of the country and a woman icon.But the journey so far was not easy for the 28-year-old Indian all-rounder. She was denied a job by the Punjab police and was not recognised for her contribution to the nation at the time when she was facing the worst financial crunches.

Yadwinder Singh Sodhi, Harmanpreet Kaur’s coach, had told the HT, “During 2010-11, Harmanpreet was struggling to get a job. We had approached the Punjab Police to employ her.”

Sodhi added, “Her application was rejected. One of the police officers then had said, ‘She is no Harbhajan Singh to get the post of DSP.’ An officer of the department had also told us that Punjab Police does not have provision for employment for female cricketers.”

Currently the all-rounder is employed with the Western Railways. She had got the job after a recommendation was made by the former Indian cricketer and Member of Parliament Sachin Tendulkar.