Harmanpreet Kaur will be part of the Sydney Thunder squad for another two years.

The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) club announced the extension of her contract on Friday.

Kaur became the first Indian to play in the Australian T20 league when she joined the Thunder last year.

She made 296 runs and picked up six wickets in her maiden season for the Thunder, in which she was also the team’s player of the tournament.

This July, she made a spectacular 171 against Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final that helped India reach the final, wherein they went down to hosts England.

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Thunder coach Jo Broadbent spoke about Kaur’s prowess with the bat.

“She’s a match-winner and that’s what you need in T20, you need those match-winners,” Broadbent told adelaidenow.com.au. “She’s got that really good blend of technique and power, she really works on the basics. She’s just incredible and such a great person to have. Her bat does most of the talking.

“Normally in the women’s (T20) game if you get your run rate up to eight runs an over, you rarely see players explode and get over 10 runs an over and do that for four or five overs. She can do that. If we had to get 10 or 12 runs an over and she was in the middle, you’d almost be backing her to win a game.”

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Sydney Thunder General Manager Lee Germon said he was excited to see Kaur back at the Thunder.

“Following the Women’s World Cup, Harmanpreet was the hottest property in cricket,” said Germon to the Sydney Thunder website.

“She showed during that tournament and through her performances with the Thunder, that she is one of, if not the most, destructive batters in the game at the moment.

“She will bring her match winning qualities to our side and I am sure our fans will enjoy watching her play once again in Thunder colours.”

Sydney Thunder will open their WBBL campaign against the Melbourne Renegades on December 9 at North Sydney Oval.