Who Is Harleen Deol? India Star’s Journey From Domestic Cricket To WPL Success

Harleen Deol is an excellent all-rounder, an aggressive batter, a good fielder, and a leg-spin bowler. After previously representing Gujarat Giants, she currently plays for UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and provided one of her finest franchise performances when chasing against Delhi Capitals with an unbeaten 70 off 49 balls.

She has also proven herself as a dependable middle-order player for India and got her maiden international century in December 2024. This article aims to elaborate on her domestic cricket early life, major performances, WPL accolades, and prospects in international and Indian cricket.

Early Life and Background

Harleen Kaur Deol was born on 21 June 1998 in Chandigarh, India. She was raised in a caring Punjabi Sikh household with her father, Baghel Singh Deol, her mother, Charanjit Kaur Deol, and her elder brother, Manjot Singh Deol, who supported her sporting dreams at an early age.

A large part of her childhood was in and around Mohali, where she initially developed an interest in cricket through informal games with boys in her neighbourhood. These childhood experiences aided in the development of her fearless attitude and diligence in the field.

She attended elementary school at the Yadavindra Public School, Mohali and continued her higher education at MCM DAV College, Chandigarh and balanced her education with her increased interest in cricket. She had a family that was extremely supportive at the time when the idea of competitive and girls-only cricket was still very new, and she was keen to train seriously and play at higher levels.

Young Harleen started playing organized cricket at a very early age, and by the time she was eight, she was playing formal matches. She gradually advanced through the local and age group tournaments to the domestic system of cricket. This initial experience in informal and formal cricket was a good foundation for her becoming a professional cricketer.

Domestic and Pre-League Career

The continuous development of Harleen Deol through Indian domestic cricket is an indication of gradual development that started with exposure at a young age and consistent practice.

She joined the domestic system when she was very young and immediately attracted attention due to her good batting style and levelheaded temper. Her success in age-group and senior tournaments made her transition into junior to elite domestic tournaments, and this formed a solid base in her international and franchise career.

The major milestones of her domestic career are:

• Started her domestic career as a representative of Punjab Women and later shifted to Himachal Pradesh Women, where she had more chances to compete.

• Her domestic T20 debut was in the 2013-14 season, and her List A debut in 2014.

• Made her first big breakthrough with a score of 116 in the Under-19 Inter-Zonal tournament.

• Became the highest run-scorer in the 2018-19 Senior Women’s Challenger Trophy for India Red, with 119 runs.

• She played competitively in the highest-tier tournaments for India A, India B, India C, North-Zone, and Board President’s XI Women’s, which indicates a high and consistent proficiency level at domestic cricket.

Women’s Premier League (WPL) Signing and Auction

In the first WPL auction held in 2023, Harleen made a huge breakthrough in franchise cricket when she got a contract with the Gujarat Giants for 40 lakhs. Playing alongside international and experienced players helped her grasp the various aspects of a high-pressure game.

Her association with such players as Beth Mooney and Deandra Dottin enabled her to learn various strategies in batting and fielding, and she applied the same to her game.

In 2026, she changed clubs and moved to UP Warriorz at 50 lakh, assuming a central role. This was regarded as a leap of leadership and increased responsibility, because she became one of the important players in the batting line-up. The way she manages pressure situations and how she adjusts easily to new team dynamics has been greatly valued.

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Harleen Deol in the Women’s Premier League (WPL)

Harleen Deol is a regular player at the WPL since her debut, where she has played 24 matches, in which she has made a total score of 604 as an all-round batter. She began her WPL career with Gujarat Giants and, in 2026, played for UP Warriorz, displaying her consistency and aggressive batting in the highest franchise league of women in India.

WPL Debut and Team Association

On March 4, 2023, Harleen Deol debuted in the Women’s Premier League, playing her debut match with Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. During that game, Gujarat Giants were bowled out at 64 runs and in her debut, Harleen scored 0. However, she continued with the Giants till the 2025 season, when she was sold to UP Warriorz for 50 Lakh in the WPL 2026 season, where she took on a more important role in the batting order.

Notable Innings and Match‑Winning Contributions

During WPL 2025, Harleen contributed a remarkable 70 not out in 49 balls to make the Gujarat Giants pursue the Delhi Capitals and become the Player of the Match. She scored an unbeaten 64 off 39 balls later in WPL 2026 to score her first win of the season in a formidable run as a player in UP Warriorz.

Impact of WPL Exposure on Her Confidence and Game

The frequent exposure to WPL has improved the confidence and tactical awareness of Harleen as she has had the opportunity to compete with and against the best players in the world. Her capability to perform under high-stress conditions, adapt in various match scenarios, and provide big innings such as her 70* and 64* ones are indications of how the league has honed her batting and match temperament.

Comparison of Domestic and WPL Performances

Although Harleen’s domestic cricket gave her a solid foundation of consistent batting, technique, and base, the WPL has taken her to a new level of competition, more influence, and has turned her starts into match-winning innings. The intensive match conditions of the franchise format have led to more aggressive stroke play and a greater finishing of games in comparison to her more conventional domestic play.

Harleen Deol: Skills and Strengths

Harleen Deol is a well-rounded all-purpose player whose batting is aggressive and with a sound technique. The fact that she is a middle-order right-handed batter, who can anchor or run when required, is also useful in ODIs and also in T20s.

Her 115-run century against the West Indies in 2024 demonstrated that she could develop a long innings despite stress, and her WPL results demonstrate her power-hitting skills that could transform a game rapidly. Harleen Deol also featured in the Indian team that competed against Sri Lanka in the series in December 2025.

Harleen Deol also became a member of the Indian team and earned a total of 88 runs in the India vs England series in July 2025.

Her fielding is one of her main strengths, where she is quick and alert and regularly makes vital stops or catches the game-changing catches. The fact that she bowls with her legs gives her an all-round profile, offering teams a versatile alternative during a limited-overs game.

She has also demonstrated mental strength, as witnessed in WPL 2026 when she recovered after being sent out to retirement to score 64 not out, which guided UP Warriorz to the first win of the season.

Her participation in the WPL of playing with experienced international players provides her with a chance to practice these skills and hone her tactical awareness.

Key Stats at a Glance

Harleen Deol has established herself in formats. She has hit 1050 runs at an average of 32.8 in 37 WODIs with 1 century (115) and 4 fifties. She has 298 runs and 6 wickets in 26 WT20Is with the highest score of 52.

She has scored 604 runs, averaging approximately 25 in 24 matches in the Women’s Premier League with a 70 not out of Gujarat Giants in 2025 and a 64 not out of the UP Warriorz in 2026, which demonstrates her consistent performance in both domestic cricket and franchise cricket.

Harleen Deol: Future Prospects and Impact

The fact that Harleen Deol has performed in the WPL and international cricket shows that she is on the path to becoming one of the most solid middle-order batters in India and a very important all-round player. Regular performances might also lead to her assuming leadership roles in franchise teams and a higher profile in the national arrangement.

Her experience as a small-city girl in the global arena is a motivating story to young cricketers. With her strength, flexibility and match-winning capacity, Harleen is set to feature prominently in the future ICC campaigns in India and will keep leaving a trace in both domestic and franchise cricket.

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FAQs

1. Who is Harleen Deol and what is her role in cricket?
   Harleen Deol is an Indian female cricketer who is a versatile all-rounder; she is a right-hand batsman, right-hand leg-spinner, and a great fielder. She represents both India and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) with UP Warriorz.
2. When did Harleen Deol make her international debut for India?
   In 2019, Harleen, with some exceptional play in the domestic circuit, earned her maiden call-up for the national women’s team in both ODI and T20I.
3. What teams has Harleen Deol represented in domestic and franchise cricket?
   Harleen has played for domestic teams like Himachal Pradesh Women, India A, India B, India C, India Red, and some board-selected teams. In the WPL, she started off with the Gujarat Giants and then moved to UP Warriorz.
4. How did Harleen Deol perform in the 2026 Women’s Premier League?
   In WPL 2026, she made 64 off 39 balls to ensure UP Warriorz won their first game of the season, despite her controversial retirement in the previous game.
5. What are some notable achievements in Harleen Deol’s career?
   She scored her maiden international century (115) against the West Indies in 2024 and has produced match‑winning performances in the WPL, including a powerful, unbeaten 70 in 2025

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