Harleen Deol's epic stunt at T20I wins praise: Tendulkar calls it 'catch of the year', Mahindra crowns her 'Wonder Woman'

The Indian women's cricket team might have lost to England by 18 runs in the first T20 International, but cricketer Harleen Kaur Deol's jaw-dropping catch to dismiss Amy Jones was the highlight of the match.

On the fifth ball of the 19th over, England wicketkeeper Amy Jones - batting on 43 runs off 26 deliveries - went for a heave off pacer Shikha Pandey. It looked like the ball would go for a six. But Deol summoned all her athletic ability.

The 23-year-old, positioned at long-off, timed her jump well and took a reverse-cupped catch above her head. As she was losing her balance, she threw the ball up in the air before crossing the boundary. She then regained balance and jumped in time to make a full-stretch dive to complete the catch inside the boundary.


The catch was good enough to become a rage on social media.
If you have managed to catch a glimpse of Deol's acrobatic effort and believe it is once in a lifetime moment, you aren't alone. From India Inc bosses and politicians to B-town celebs and the cricket fraternity, the well-known personalities can't stop raving about 23-year-old's stunning catch.

Calling it a 'special effects' trick, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra shared the one-minute-37-second-long video of Deol's epic catch. "Move over Gal Gadot; the real WonderWoman is here," he wrote.


Lakshmi M Puri, former UN Assistant Secretary-General, said that Deol’s "incredible flight and sensational landing" will now be written in golden words in history of world cricket. "What an inspiration to all the women out there to take a plunge, re-enter & catch the opportunity," her caption read.


Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar hailed Deol's brilliance and rated the moment as the "catch of the year".


Teammate Mithali Raj, who was not part of the T20 International squad this year, appreciated Deol's athleticism and presence of mind. She also credit fielding coach Abhay Sharma who has trained the 'Women in Blue' with some smart fielding drills .


Former Team India spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded Deol for her "simply outstanding" effort on the field to dismiss Jones. "Take a bow," he tweeted.

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman and commentor Harsha Bhogle said it was as good acatch as one will ever see in the hostory of cricket.



Actress-turned-politician and Union Minister for Women & Child Development Smriti Irani took to Twitter to laud the 'Woman in Blue' for setting new benchmarks.


Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary of Indian National Congress, also emphased that 'women are the best.'


Actor-turned-MP Raj Babbar said while he doesn't understand the nuances of cricket much, Doel's fabulous catch showed her training, dedication and fitness in one moment."Best wishes to Harleen Deol. Your feat shall long be remembered," he mentioned.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, called Deol's attempt to stop the six an "incredible effort."


Bollywood celebrities Swara Bhaskar and Farhan Akhtar applauded Doel's catch.


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Women also shared a video on Twitter. "The result didn't go our way today but here is something special from the game," the caption read.


International Cricket Council (ICC) called Deol's catch 'simply outstanding'.

Indian Premier League (IPL) Team Mumbai Indians posted an appreciation tweet.

Chennai Super Kings called the catch 'top stuff'.


Kolkata Knight Riders asked its 4.5 million followers to stop everything to watch the epic catch.


Rajasthan Royals wrote, "You cannot do that, Hareleen Deol."