At a news conference before India’s Women’s Asia Cup opener, Harmanpreet Kaur stunned a reporter with an outstanding response.

India will play Pakistan in the opening game of the Women’s Asia Cup on Friday in Dambulla. This year’s continental competition will be hosted by Sri Lanka and played in the T20 format. In addition, the competition will help prepare players for the forthcoming Women’s T20 World Cup. 

Harmanpreet Kaur, who is renowned for her assertive leadership, will try to lead India to an unprecedented seventh championship. Harmanpreet spoke candidly about India’s goals during the pre-tournament news conference, referring to it as a “very important” event.

Harmanpreet was available for questions during the pre-tournament press conference. She also had a brilliant response ready for a reporter who inquired about whether or not people were becoming disinterested in women’s cricket. When India recently visited Bangladesh in April or May, a reporter observed that “fewer journalists appeared at press conferences, what is your opinion? With a straightforward “Well, that’s none of my business; you guys have to come and cover us,” Harmanpreet abruptly halted the reporter.

There is controversy about Harmanpreet’s past with the Bangladesh cricket squad. In 2023, during an ODI match in Dhaka. She struck the stumps with her bat after being dismissed during the match to show her displeasure with the umpiring and called the umpiring “pathetic” at the post-match presentation.

Harmanpreet is said to have yelled to invite the umpires along as both teams posed for a picture, implying that they were supporting Bangladesh. She was punished and even suspended for two matches in addition to receiving three demerit points for disobedience. She has now gained controversy in Bangladeshi media, and many people chose to ignore her when India visited the nation.

She defended her conduct at the time, saying, “As a player, you want to see that fair things are occurring, therefore I won’t say that I regret anything. You always have the right to express yourself and your emotions as a player.”