Hopefully, Harman will play longer: MI coach Keightley

Ahead of WPL Season 4, new Mumbai Indians head coach discusses changing trends in women’s T20

- Rasesh Mandani

Lisa Keightley can’t catch hold of Harmanpreet Kaur. No one can.

As captain of recently crowned World Champions Indian women’s team, Kaur has been on the road, sporting her celebrity status with fanfare in events and promotions.

“I have not spent much time with Harman,” Keightley, the new Mumbai Indians head coach tells HT. “There's been little pockets around the auction planning, but she’s been so busy with the effects of the World Cup. I think she’s looking forward to getting to the competition (Women’s Premier League) where she can just be Harman the cricketer.” WPL's fourth edition starts on Friday.

Keightley is keen to get going and for that, forging a rapport with the team captain would be crucial. The Australian player-turnedcoach, 54, is vastly experienced, having worked with the Australia and England women’s teams in different coaching capacities as well as many T20 franchise teams.

“In international cricket, you've got time to develop a player,” she said. “In franchise cricket, you're pretty much trying to get them to execute a game plan very quickly. You might help in technique a little bit, but it's more about the outcome. Getting those connections and you need to do it at speed.