Playing with men helped me develop six-hitting skill: Harman

Aggression comes naturally to Harmanpreet Kaur and she attributes her six-hitting prowess to playing with men in the formative days of her career.

Harmanpreet's 171 against Australia in the World Cup semifinal made her an overnight sensation and started comparing the 28-year-old to the legendary Kapil Dev.

The batting star said the memorable innings was not any different to her usual style of play as she likes to play aggressive brand of cricket since childhood.

"I like to bat in that way since childhood, I have learnt to play that way and played cricket with boys, who used to hit sixes and I liked hitting sixes.

"In the final (that India lost to England), we needed runs and I was going for runs, I played the shot thinking it will be fully covered, but it went into the fieder’s hand. I was very disappointed," Harmanpreet told reporters here.

She was due for runs in the knock out stages after a quiet league stage. And the team could not have asked her for more in the semifinal.

"I have played knocks like that in domestic cricket, I got chance in international but never made a long score. That match was telecast and people saw it, we had the hunger to win ‘that match and I was happy that I played that knock when the team needed and the team won," said the right-handed batswoman.

She insists that her focus is always on the team's total while batting and that is why she did not worry about her fitness during the marathon knock against Australia.

"It was not at all difficult in terms of fitness, as I like fitness and like to play football. There were injuries, but thanks to physio, I did alright," she added.