Mithali Raj vs Ramesh Powar — Public Fallout

The 2018 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in the West Indies was rocked by one of the ugliest internal conflicts in Indian cricket history. Coach Ramesh Powar dropped captain Mithali Raj — India's most decorated women's cricketer — from the semi-final against England. India went on to lose the match by 8 wickets.

After the tournament, Mithali Raj wrote a scathing letter to the BCCI, accusing Powar of bias and humiliation. She stated that Powar had been trying to destroy her career and that she had been "left out" despite being the highest run-scorer in the tournament. The letter was leaked to the media and caused a firestorm.

Powar responded with his own report to the BCCI, accusing Mithali of throwing tantrums, being reluctant to bat at certain positions, and creating a negative atmosphere in the dressing room. He alleged she had threatened to retire mid-tournament and that her attitude was detrimental to team morale.

The BCCI's Committee of Administrators (CoA) investigated the matter. Powar's contract was not renewed, and he was effectively removed from the coaching position. However, the damage to Indian women's cricket was significant — it exposed deep fissures within the team and raised concerns about how women cricketers were treated by the system. The controversy dominated headlines for weeks and overshadowed the team's performances.