UP Warriorz (UPW) head coach Abhishek Nayar had to face a lot of scrutiny after making the controversial decision of retiring out Harleen Deol against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Women's Premier League (WPL). Harleen was batting on 47 runs and looked to be set on the crease with three overs left in UPW's innings. The team's total was 141/4 when the batter was then surprisingly told to come back to the dugout and Chloe Tryon replaced her on the field.
The decision costs UPW dearly
The move backfired massively for UPW as not only did they lose four wickets in the remaining overs, but also were only able to score 13 runs more. They finished their 20 overs on 154/8 and eventually failed to defend the target as DC chased it down on the final delivery of their innings.
After facing sharp backlash, Nayar opened up on the decision to retire out Harleen and remarked that the incident highlighted the need for better commnication in women's cricket. He also pointed out the challenges that he has to face as the head coach of a women's team.
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"I'm also teaching myself every day that, 'listen Abhishek, open your mouth, talk', and you sometimes have to do it. They [players] are so receptive to it, it's amazing, in men's cricket you have to be very 'what to talk, what not to'. I think in women's cricket, they are very receptive, so you can actually talk to them, you can get into those details," Nayar said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"But I think trust takes time, and I'm working around that. I mean, Harleen and these things happen, and things come out [and] it becomes harder for me. It's different, it's fun, it's challenging, it's testing me in every which way, and sort of preparing me for the IPL also, in a different way. But I would say it's not been easy," he added.
Harleen's stunning display vs MI
Meanwhile, Harleen gave a superb batting performance in the very next game she played after being retired out. She remained unbeaten on 64 from 39 deliveries and guided UPW to their first victory of the season against the Mumbai Indians. The side had lost their first three matches of the season and desperately needed a win in their encounter against the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side. Fortunately for them, Harleen delivered when it mattered the most and sterred the team towards the target of 162..