Harmanpreet Kaur

Time at the top has not dulled Harmanpreet Kaur’s competitive streak. The Indian women’s cricket captain secured legendary status back in 2017 when she scored a then record 171 not out off just 115 balls in a World Cup match against Australia, leaving spectators agog at her extraordinary talent. Fast-forward six years and Kaur is still making headlines—getting suspended for two matches and fined 75% of her match fee in July for criticizing umpires during India’s draw against Bangladesh. Kaur’s fire and flair have been instrumental in transforming women’s cricket from fringe curiosity to one of the world’s most valuable sporting assets, with only the WNBA worth more in female domestic sports than the inaugural Indian Women’s Premier League, whose five franchises sold for a combined $570 million in January. And in March, Kaur led the Mumbai Indians to become the league’s first champions.

Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com.