Bangladesh Women's Cricket Captain Rejects Abuse Claims; References Harmanpreet Kaur Incident
Nigar Sultana Joty denies hitting junior players and questions allegations while referencing Harmanpreet Kaur’s past controversy.
Bangladesh women’s cricket captain Nigar Sultana Joty has strongly denied allegations of physically assaulting junior teammates, sarcastically asking in a November 17, 2025 interview whether she is “Harmanpreet Kaur,” who would “go around hitting the stumps.” The pointed remark referenced the Indian captain’s infamous 2023 outburst in Dhaka, where Harmanpreet smashed the stumps after an LBW decision, called the umpiring “pathetic,” and mocked Bangladeshi players during the trophy presentation—an incident that earned her a two-match ban.
The explosive claims surfaced earlier this month when former pacer Jahanara Alam, speaking from Australia, alleged that Joty routinely slaps and intimidates junior players, including an incident during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup where a player was supposedly summoned to her room and beaten. Alam, who last played for Bangladesh in December 2024, claimed several juniors had phoned her crying for help and accused the team management of favoritism that has sidelined senior players since 2021.
Joty dismissed the accusations as baseless, questioning why any affected player would contact Alam—who has been out of the setup for nearly a year—in Australia instead of approaching on-site coaches, managers, or BCB officials. “If I really beat someone, is there no team management? Am I the ultimate authority?” she asked, inviting anyone to verify with current squad members and insisting her private frustrations never translate into violence against teammates.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board swiftly backed Joty, labelling Alam’s statements “deliberate and ill-intentioned” and expressing full confidence in the captain’s leadership. Officials pointed to Bangladesh’s gradual improvement under Joty since 2021, including consistent qualification for ICC events and a seventh-place finish—with one win over Pakistan—at the 2025 Women’s World Cup won by India.
The public spat has exposed underlying generational tensions within the rapidly professionalizing Bangladesh women’s team, where rapid growth has sometimes clashed with issues of hierarchy, mental health, and communication. Alam had taken a break in early 2025, citing personal well-being, while several seniors have quietly retired or moved abroad in recent years.
With an internal BCB inquiry underway and a bilateral series looming, both the board and Joty have urged focus to return to the field. The captain vowed to continue fostering a supportive environment for emerging talent, determined to silence critics through performance rather than further public exchanges, as Bangladesh women’s cricket seeks stability amid its most turbulent off-field episode in years.
