Indian cricketers who have been accused in sexual harassment controversies

Cricket is fondly known as the ‘Gentleman’s Game’; however, there have been instances when the cricketers have painted a contrasting image to the game. They have often been involved in nasty conversations, sometimes leading to physical fights. But some offences have not been limited to just cricket fields. Several cricketers have ruined the reputation of the game by being involved in serious criminal offenses. Over time, numerous reports have emerged about cricketers being implicated in sexual harassment cases. There have been some popular Indian cricketers who have also been accused of sexual harassment.

In this article, let’s take a look at three popular Indian cricketers who have been accused of sexual harassment: 

1. Amit Mishra 

Amit Mishra is counted among the finest wrist spinners India have ever produced. He represented India in 22 Tests and 36 ODIs, picking 76 and 64 wickets, respectively. He holds the record of being the only player to have picked three hat-tricks in the Indian Premier League. 

Having said that, Mishra also often made headlines for the wrong reasons. Back in 2015, he was arrested in Bangalore in connection with a case filed by a woman. In her complaint, she accused Mishra of allegedly physically assaulting her and abusing her in a hotel room. The accused told the Police that she went to Mishra’s room in his absence. Upon seeing her gaining access to her room, he had a heated argument, which led to the cricketer assaulting her and abusing her.

2. Hardik Pandya 

Hardik Pandya is labelled as one of the best all-rounders in white-ball cricket the world has ever seen. He has been a valuable asset for the Indian Cricket Team for many years now and has grown into a great leader on the cricket field. Under his captaincy, the Gujarat Titans won the IPL title in their debut season and went on to reach their second final next season. 

However, in the year 2021, he found himself in hot water when a report emerged stating that a woman associated with Riyaz Bhati’s family had accused Hardik Pandya, Munaf Patel, and Rajeev Shukla of allegedly sexually exploiting her multiple times. The woman in her complaint mentioned that she was forced into the act under the influence of alcohol. Although his name was brought up in the complaint, no formal legal action was taken due to a lack of evidence.

3. Yash Dayal 

Yash Dayal faced another sexual harassment allegation on Friday. In the FIR filed against him, the woman accused him of repeatedly raping her for over a period of two years while emotionally blackmailing her and luring her with promises of a cricketing career. She also said that she was in a five-year relationship with Dayal, with the latter exploiting her emotionally, physically, and mentally while giving her false promises of marriage.

Yash Dayal was first brought to light when Gujarat Titans bought Yash Dayal’s services for INR 3.20 crores in the 2022 IPL Mega Auction and was retained for the next edition. However, his best seasons came with RCB when they acquired his services in the 2024 IPL edition for INR 5 crore. He was a pivotal figure in RCB’s title-winning bowling attack in the recently concluded 2025 edition.