Harmanpreet Kaur’s Asian Games fate revealed after ICC’s strict punishment as India men’s, women’s teams earn QF entries
After missing out of the 2018 edition, cricket has returned as one of the 37 disciplines in the impending Asian Games which will be held in Hangzhou, China starting September 19. Overall, the sport made its appearance in only two other editions – 2010 and 2014 – but BCCI, for the first time ever, will be sending their men’s and women’s team for the event. With a little over a month left before the kick off to cricket tournament in China, India’s men’s and women’s teams learned their fate in the Asian Games.
Harmanpreet Kaur has been suspended for two matches by the ICC(PTI)
Based on their respective ICC T20I ranking on June 1, India have earned a direct quarterfinal entry in both the categories. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the other teams in men’s and women’s events who will be directly playing from the last eight stage.
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The men’s event will comprise of 18 teams with the event starting from September 28 onwards and the final will be played on October 7, two days after the start of the Men’s ODI World Cup at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. And if the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led outfit do make the distance, they will be playing on three consecutive days – October 5 (quarter-final), October 6 (semi-final) and October 7 (final).
The women’s event comprises of 14 teams and will be held before the start of the men’s event. The proceedings will begin from September 19 onwards will the final on September 26.
Will Harmanpreet Kaur participate in Asian Games?
With the matches at the Asiad gaining official T20I status, India women’s team skipper Harmanpreet’s fate will be depending on her side’s performance in the event.
The 34-year-old was handed a two-match suspension by the ICC earlier this week after her poor conduct in the third and final match of the ODI series against Bangladesh. Harmanpreet was fined 50 per cent of her match fee for the Level 2 offence and received three demerit points for smashing the stumps in sheer frustration after her dismissal and was later found guilty of breaching article 2.8 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, pertaining to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision”. She was fined an additional 25 per cent of match fees and handed another demerit point.
With matches at Asian Games officially counted under the ICC, Harmanpreet will miss the quarterfinal tie and the semi-final match with a participation guaranteed only in the final given the team makes it to the gold medal match.
