WPL 2025: MI Captain Harmanpreet Fined for Dissenting Umpire's Call

Synopsis

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been fined 10% of her match fees for violating the WPL Code of Conduct during a match against UP Warriorz. The incident involved showing dissent towards an umpire's decision related to fielding restrictions.

Key Takeaways

Harmanpreet Kaur fined 10% of match fees.
Incident occurred during a match against UP Warriorz.
Violation was categorized as a Level 1 offence.
The WPL Code of Conduct was breached.
Amelia Kerr recorded a historic five-wicket haul.

Lucknow, March 7 (NationPress) The captain of the Mumbai Indians, Harmanpreet Kaur, has faced a fine of 10 percent of her match fees due to a violation of the WPL Code of Conduct during the recent match against UP Warriorz at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The WPL issued a statement confirming that Harmanpreet acknowledged committing a Level 1 offence under Article 2.8, which pertains to expressing dissent towards an umpire's decision during a game.

The incident took place in the final over when the on-field umpire penalized MI for a slow over rate, enforcing fielding restrictions according to the regulations. This mandated that MI could have only three fielders positioned outside the 30-yard circle.

The MI captain Harmanpreet showed her discontent with the ruling and confronted umpire Ajitesh Argal to question the decision. All-rounder Amelia Kerr, who was about to bowl the last over, also displayed her frustration regarding the ruling.

At that moment, England cricketer Sophie Ecclestone, who was at the non-striker's end, approached the umpire to voice her opinion. This resulted in a heated dialogue between Harmanpreet and Ecclestone, during which the MI captain was seen gesturing emphatically at her.

The umpires swiftly stepped in to calm the situation, and Ecclestone returned to her position at the non-striker's end, looking discontented. A video of this incident went viral on social media.

For breaches classified as Level 1 of the Code of Conduct, the decision made by the Match Referee is considered final and binding.

As for the match, Amelia Kerr's impressive five-wicket haul (5-38) coupled with Hayley Mathews' explosive fifty (68 off 46) led to a six-wicket victory for Mumbai, advancing them to the second position in the standings.

The current holder of the Purple Cap, Kerr, became the first bowler this season to achieve a five-wicket haul, recording the best bowling figures ever by an MI player in WPL history.