Harleen Deol recalls motivational chat with MS Dhoni during injury layoff

Harleen Deol recently took a trip down memory lane to recall her interaction with the legendary MS Dhoni. Last year, she suffered a knee injury while playing for the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which sidelined her for approximately six months before she made her comeback during India’s tour of Australia.

The 27-year-old shared that she got the opportunity to meet Dhoni, who, upon learning about her injury, personally approached her with words of encouragement. Following the meeting, Harleen expressed her joy and admiration on social media, describing Dhoni as her idol and highlighting the inspiration she drew from the former India captain.

“I got injured around the time he was in Ranchi. Everyone wanted to meet him, and when he heard about my injury, he reached out himself. He called me, and we ended up having a long, meaningful chat. It was incredible — especially at a time when things weren’t going well for me. He gave me so much motivation that day, and it was truly special,” Harleen said in a video on ICC.

“The moment which felt surreal. Cherishing every minute spent with my idol. It’s already cold in India but this my #captaincool moment. Have idolised you as a player but after meeting you I am gonna idolise you as a person as well. Still can’t believe, I really met you,” she wrote on Instagram.

Speaking of Harleen, she has made a strong impact with the bat in two matches in the Women’s World Cup 2025 so far, scoring 94 runs at an average of 47, with a highest score of 48. Her standout innings came against arch-rivals Pakistan, where she played a composed 46 off 65 balls, including four boundaries and a six, helping India post 247 in 50 overs on a slow pitch.

She continued her fine form against Sri Lanka, scoring 48 and playing a key role in India’s total of 269/8. Harleen is now in action against South Africa Women on Thursday, October 9, at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.