Harmanpreet Kaur Suffers Knee Injury, Smriti Mandhana Leads India in 1st ODI vs Australia

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was forced to stay off the field after sustaining a left knee injury during the first ODI against Australia at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Tuesday. The injury occurred while she was batting in India’s innings, though the exact moment remains unclear.

Harmanpreet appeared in discomfort toward the end of the 38th over and received on-field medical attention when she was on 40 off 67 balls. Despite the setback, she chose to continue batting and went on to score a fighting 53 off 84 deliveries, striking three boundaries. Her knock played a crucial role in rebuilding India’s innings after they had slipped to 140 for 6 in the 34th over.

She shared a valuable 53-run partnership with Kashvee Gautam, who contributed 43 off 44 balls, helping India reach a total of 214. Harmanpreet was eventually dismissed in the 44th over, becoming one of the key contributors in a challenging batting effort.

A statement from the BCCI confirmed that Harmanpreet had sustained a left knee injury while batting and that the medical team is closely monitoring her progress. No further details were provided regarding the severity of the injury or her availability for the remainder of the match or series.

In her absence from the field, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana assumed leadership duties as India began defending their total against an Australian side looking to bounce back after losing the preceding T20I series.

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