Bangladesh and India’s thrilling ODI series ended in a hard-fought 1-1 draw, but the focus shifted dramatically to Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s controversial actions during the final game. In a fresh footage that surfaced, Harmanpreet was seen mocking the Bangladesh side, adding fuel to the accusations against her.
The incident occurred when Harmanpreet was dismissed in the 34th over of the chase, and she expressed her displeasure by smashing the stumps with her bat and engaging in a heated exchange with the umpire. This was the third instance in the match where India expressed discontent over the umpire’s decisions.
After the game, Harmanpreet openly criticized the umpires, stating, “A lot of learning from this game. Even apart from the cricket, the type of umpiring that was happening there, we were very surprised. The next time whenever we are coming to Bangladesh, we’ll have to make sure we have to deal with this kind of umpiring, and accordingly, we’ll have to prepare ourselves.”
However, what shocked cricket fans,, even more was Harmanpreet’s post-match act that led to the Bangladesh players boycotting the joint photograph session. As the series ended in a draw and the trophy was shared, both teams were called for a photo session at the presentation. In a viral video, Harmanpreet can be seen derisively calling the umpires to join in when the trophy was handed to the two captains, implying their involvement in helping the home team level the series. Her actions left the Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana, visibly fuming.
Addressing the umpiring controversies, Harmanpreet defended her team’s reactions, claiming the umpires made correct decisions. She said, “The umpires wouldn’t give her out if she weren’t. We had umpires from men’s international cricket, so they were good umpires. What are they [India] going to say about the caught or run-out dismissals [of which there were six excluding the Harmanpreet and Meghna wickets]? We have respected their decisions. The umpire’s decision is the final decision, whether I like it or not. Why didn’t we behave that way [like the India players]?” as quoted by HT.
As the cricketing world reacts to these controversial incidents, discussions continue surrounding the standard of umpiring and player conduct, spotlighting the intense competition between Bangladesh and India on the cricket field.
Watch this space at IWMBuzz.com for exclusive updates.