'It can be frustrating' - Mithali Raj Breaks Silence on Harmanpreet-Sophie Fiery Exchange

Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, and Sophie Ecclestone, the spinner for the UP Warriorz, had a heated argument during their recent Women's Premier League (WPL 2025) match on Thursday, March 6. Mithali Raj, a former Indian captain, shared her thoughts on the altercation. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, was fined 10% of her match money on Friday for objecting to the umpire's call during her team's game against the UP Warriorz at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Umpire Ajitesh Argal told Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur that only three fielders could be outside the circle in the final over because of a sluggish over rate at the end of the 19th over of the UP Warriorz innings. Disappointed by the choice, Amelia Kerr joined the conversation to defend her captain. At the crease, though, Ecclestone also made the decision to intervene and provide her viewpoint.

Sophie Ecclestone of UP Warriorz and Harmanpreet also got into a heated argument during the game when the English cricket player, who was at the non-striker's end, approached the umpire to clarify something. Square-leg umpire N Janani and UP Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma intervened to diffuse the tension following the exchange.

Harmanpreet-Sophie Controversy:

Mithali said, "I believe Mumbai Indians were four minutes behind the over rate, which meant they had to bring an extra fielder inside the ring—allowing only three fielders on the boundary. Harmanpreet was likely discussing this with the umpire and reconsidering whether she would have bowled Shabnim Ismail in the 19th over had she known earlier. But I couldn’t quite figure out what Ecclestone was trying to do at that moment. As a captain, when you’re already dealing with an over-rate penalty and adjusting your field, it can be frustrating to have another player step into that conversation. I think it was just a moment of emotion."

She added, "I would say that Hayley Matthews’ innings was incredibly fluent in her shot-making. Nat Sciver-Brunt, who came in during the powerplay, maintained an excellent strike rate. At one point, she was scoring at around 180. She continues to score runs consistently, and I think that partnership was crucial for the Mumbai Indians. A target of 150 can sometimes be tricky, especially with the UP Warriorz having quality spinners."

The cricketer concluded by saying, "Since MI also relied heavily on spin in the first innings, we expected the UP Warriorz spinners to play a key role as well. But that partnership never looked under pressure. I felt the UP Warriorz bowlers bowled on the shorter side, which allowed Matthews and Sciver-Brunt to put Mumbai Indians in a commanding position."

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