Harmanpreet Kaur fined heavily by BCCI after a Vulgar fight with Sophie Ecclestone

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur found herself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after a fiery exchange with the umpire during the Mumbai Indians’ Women’s Premier League 2025 (WPL 2025) clash against UP Warriorz at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The intense incident unfolded when Harmanpreet Kaur was informed of a fielding restriction due to a slow over rate, which irked the Mumbai Indians captain. Actually, the on-field umpire, Ajitesh Argal, told Kaur at the end of the 19th over of UP Warriorz' innings that only three fielders could stay outside the circle in the final over because her team was too slow in completing their overs.

Harmanpreet Kaur loses cool win WPL 2025 clash, fined for heated argument with Umpire

The Indian skipper was frustrated with the decision and engaged in a tense argument with the umpire, with teammate Amelia Kerr also joining her. But the drama didn’t stop there as the match saw another heated moment when UP Warriorz’s Sophie Ecclestone came from the non-striker’s end to explain something to the umpire during their argument.

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Harmanpreet was in no mood to entertain interference, as the MI skipper shut down Sophie Ecclestone with a sharp response. This only escalated the situation to the point where square-leg umpire N Janani and UP Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma had to step in to calm things down.

Harmanpreet Kaur fined for Level 1 breach

But Harmanpreet had already crossed her line, as she was slapped with a fine of 10% of her match fee for showing dissent at the umpire. The MI skipper accepted her offence, as she found guilty of breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during her team’s WPL 2025 clash with UP Warriorz.

The WPL said in an official media release, “Harmanpreet Kaur admitted to the Level 1 offense under Article 2.8, which relates to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a match. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the match referee’s decision is final and binding.”

Mithali Raj reacts to Harmanpreet Kaur's animated argument with umpire and Sophie Ecclestone’s involvement

Meanwhile, Mithali Raj shared her thoughts on the incident, as she pointed out that Mumbai Indians were “four minutes behind the over rate,” which triggered the penalty. She also noted that Kaur was likely frustrated over the penalty and reconsidering her bowling choices, as MI had to bring an extra fielder inside the ring, allowing only three fielders on the boundary.

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The former India Women captain suggested that Sophie Ecclestone’s involvement in the heated moment worsened the situation, leading to an emotional moment on the field. Mithali stated, “I couldn’t quite figure out what Ecclestone was trying to do in 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.”

Mumbai thrashes UP by six wickets in Lucknow

However, despite the tense moments, the Mumbai Indians managed to pull off a 6-wicket win over the UP Warriorz. The hosts have posted 150/9 in their 20 overs, thanks to George Voll’s fifty with Amelia Kerr starring with the ball, finishing with the stunning spell of 5/38 in Lucknow.

Later, Hayley Matthews’ remarkable knock of 68 runs off 46 balls and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s quick cameo of 37 runs off 23 balls took the Mumbai Indias over the line with nine balls to spare against the Warriorz. Grace Harris scalped two wickets for the hosts against Mumbai.