India batter Harleen Deol has joined the Barbados Tridents for the remainder of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), and becomes the fifth Indian cricketer to feature in the ongoing competition. Harleen links up with compatriots Pooja Vastrakar and Kiran Navgire in the Tridents squad for her first stint in a global franchise T20 tournament.
We have a match on Saturday. “It was a very last minute call. I think Shashank sir, from the management team, approached me and asked, ‘Are you interested in playing WCPL? “I was like, ‘Yeah, why not? Franchise cricket is a little different, but it’s good for the experience and learning. So, we’ll play and see how it goes. Highlighting the advantages of playing in T20 leagues, based on her experiences in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the now-defunct Women’s T20 Challenge at home, Harleen felt that the value of testing oneself outside familiar environments is a key takeaway. “You don’t have to think too much forward that this or that has to be done or if this will be good on the tour, then this and that stuff will happen. So, it gives you a lot of disappointments here and there. Obviously, there is a goal in your mind regarding things like ‘Yes, this is what I am looking forward to.’
Because obviously, different experiences, different wickets, and different people are here. Because i haven’t played yet, “I will get to know only when I have played on the pitches. Harleen, a member of India’s 2025 ODI World Cup winning team, revealed her late arrival in the Caribbean came after a swift call from the franchise management.
So, I just said yes, and then I made it here. Ahead of the Tridents’ upcoming match against Jamaica Empress, Harleen said potentially playing in the game will give her a better idea of local conditions.
“I’ve just attended one practice session and we went for a team bonding session on a cruise. We get to learn these things, but when you play with different people, when you are in a different team or in WBBL, when you are at home, you are an overseas player – that is a different challenge itself. Because that is outside of your comfort zone, “I feel, when you play in a different team, you get to experience a different challenge.
So, that was a really nice experience,” Harleen told IANS in a select virtual interaction organised by FanCode, the official broadcaster of WCPL in India.
