• Home
  • Player Stories
  • Outbursts Vs Umpires And 5 Unwanted Controversies Involving Harmanpreet Kaur

Outbursts Vs Umpires And...? 5 Unwanted Controversies Involving Harmanpreet Kaur

Akshita Patel

Top 5 Controversies Involving India Women Captain Harmanpreet Kaur [Source: @HPKaur_fc/X.com]Top 5 Controversies Involving India Women Captain Harmanpreet Kaur [Source: @HPKaur_fc/X.com]

Harmanpreet Kaur is perhaps one of India's most celebrated women cricketers. As the all-format skipper, she had captained India-W to many wins that were nothing short of inspiring. As is with any sportsperson, her journey had certainly not been the perfect one.

From fiery outbursts on the field to allegations of favouritism and off-field scandals, incidents like these have sometimes obscured her brilliance in cricketing. While she has remained as a role model for young aspiring players, her every action has invited scrutiny at times, reflecting the difficulty of leadership and the stress of representing the nation.

On that note, here are the top five controversies that have involved the Indian skipper.

Breaking Stumps And Outbursts Against Umpires

Harmanpreet Kaur's behaviour in a match against Bangladesh during the Women's ODI series in 2023 was heavily criticised. Harmanpreet was furious after being given LBW and struck the stumps with her bat. However, that was not it. She did not hesitate to criticise the umpires in an open manner during the post-match presentation. Also, the argument heightened when, in the prize-giving ceremony, Harmanpreet allegedly requested that the umpires also join the Bangladesh team to celebrate their shared victory. The captain of Bangladesh, Nigar Sultana, termed it demeaning and unprofessional and hurt the spirit of the game.

Mithali Raj's Snub In The 2018 Women's T20 World Cup

The exclusion of former Indian captain Mithali Raj from the playing XI during a crucial match against Australia in the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup led to an internal rift within the team. Mithali, who had played exceptionally well in the earlier matches, felt that the decision was biased. Mithali, who had played well in the initial matches, felt that it was biased. Adding fuel to the fire, Mithali's manager publicly slammed Harmanpreet on social media for of being a "manipulative, lying, immature" leader who prioritised politics over cricket.

The Fake Degree Scandal And Demotion From DSP Rank

In 2017, following the successful performance of Women's ODI World Cup, the Punjab government offered a post of Deputy Superintendent of Police to Harmanpreet Kaur. However, her joy was short-lived when an investigation revealed that the graduation degree she had submitted was fake. Therefore, as a consequence, Harmanpreet Kaur had her DSP rank withdrawn from her and relegated to becoming a constable. The incident brought her credibility into question and subjected her to public ridicule. 

Support For Coach Ramesh Powar Amidst Fallout With Mithali Raj

The fallout between Mithali Raj and coach Ramesh Powar after the 2018 World Cup became a major talking point. Mithali lodged an official complaint against Powar, urging his dismissal. However, Harmanpreet along with her deputy Smriti Mandhana defended him in formal letters to the cricket board and claimed that it was he who formed the team. This move was heavily criticised by fans and experts. Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar even questioned the leadership of Harmanpreet and allegiance to the senior players.

Spirit of Cricket Controversy With Deepti Sharma

In September 2022, Harmanpreet Kaur was in the midst of a heated "Spirit of Cricket" debate when she came to the defence of her teammate Deepti Sharma for running out England's Charlie Dean at the non-striker's end. The incident occurred in the third ODI of the series, with England needing 17 runs and a crucial last-wicket partnership in play. Deepti spotted Dean backing up too far and executed the run-out as per the laws of cricket. Most people were of the view that Kaur did not bring Dean back into the game in the spirit of the game, but the Indian skipper remained defiant, saying that the dismissal was according to the law.  India won the series 3-0.