‘Couldn’t quite figure out what Ecclestone was trying to do’- Mithali Raj addresses heated Harmanpreet-Sophie heated 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) match on Thursday, March 6. Mithali Raj, a former Indian captain, shared her thoughts on the altercation.

The umpire told Harmanpreet that just three fielders would be permitted outside the circle in the penultimate over of the first innings at Ekana Cricket Stadium, punishing Mumbai for their poor over rate. The MI captain did not agree with this decision and argued with the umpire, seeking clarification on the verdict.

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. The Indian hitter did not take kindly to this and spoke with the England spinner sparingly. In order to keep things from getting worse, the umpires had to step in.

Mithali Raj examined the event and shared her thoughts on what might have caused the tension in an exclusive interview with Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar.

The Mumbai Indians, who only allowed three fielders on the boundary, had to bring one extra fielder inside the ring because, in my opinion, they were four minutes behind the over rate. Harmanpreet was probably talking to the umpire about this and reevaluating whether or not, had she known sooner, she would have bowled Shabnim Ismail in the 19th over. However, I was unable to fully understand Ecclestone’s intentions at the time. It can be annoying as a captain to have another player interrupt the conversation while you’re already juggling an over-rate penalty and changing your pitch. Raj remarked, “I believe it was just an emotional outburst.”

Hayley Matthews had a very fluid innings: Mithali Raj

The former champs, however, controlled the match and defeated UP Warriorz by six wickets. With a 46-ball 68, Hayley Matthews was the most impressive player, but Kerr also made a substantial contribution with the ball, finishing with figures of 5/38. MI improved their net run rate and moved up to second place in the points standings after easily chasing down the 151-run goal in 18.3 overs. The cooperation between Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt, which helped the team win the game, was emphasised by the former Indian batter.

“I think Hayley Matthews’ shot-making was really fluid during her innings. After entering on the powerplay, Nat Sciver-Brunt kept up a strong strike rate. She was scoring about 180 at one time. She keeps scoring runs on a regular basis, and I believe that the Mumbai Indians needed that partnership. A 150-run aim can occasionally be challenging, particularly given the UP Warriorz’s strong spinners.

We expected the UP Warriorz spinners to be crucial because MI also depended largely on spin in the first innings. However, that collaboration never appeared to be under stress. Matthews and Sciver-Brunt were able to give the Mumbai Indians a dominant position because, in my opinion, the UP Warriorz bowlers bowled on the shorter side,” she continued.

This was UP Warriorz’s third straight loss, putting them in danger of being eliminated. Georgia Voll’s 55 off 33 balls led their batting effort, which at first looked like it might reach a higher total, but Mumbai’s bowling attack held them to 150/9.