Smriti Mandhana has been appointed as the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team following Harmanpreet Kaur’s resignation from the role. Many are wondering if this change came too late for the talented 30-year-old, who stands out as the country’s top batter.
Harmanpreet made the decision to step down after a review meeting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The accomplished 37-year-old from Moga concluded her leadership journey on a high note, having just lead India to a gold medal in the Asian Games held in Japan.
Mandhana was a natural choice to take over. She made her debut back in 2013 and has become one of the sport’s leading figures, accumulating over 10,000 runs in various formats. Her skills have always been exceptional, and she has recently enhanced her game by incorporating more power into her batting style.
For some time, it seemed that Mandhana was frustrated with the selectors’ decisions, particularly after India’s success at the ODI World Cup last year, where they ended a long wait for an ICC trophy. In a recent interview, she expressed her eagerness to lead and shared her aspirations of targeting bigger international tournaments. Despite India’s achievements in the 50-over format, the team faced early exits in consecutive T20 World Cups, raising concerns about the leadership in the shortest format of the game.
A meeting chaired by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia indicated that it was time for a new captain, leading Harmanpreet to take the initiative and resign. Reports suggest that the relationship between her and Mandhana had become strained, causing tension within the team.
The legendary Mithali Raj commented after India’s early exit from the T20 World Cup in the UK, suggesting that Mandhana should have been appointed captain two or three years ago when questions were being raised about Harmanpreet’s form. Mithali proposed that while Mandhana could lead in both ODI and Test formats, it might be wise to consider a younger player like Shafali Verma for the T20 captaincy.
The transition in leadership has not always gone smoothly, and the women’s team has often escaped the same scrutiny faced by their male counterparts. Even when Harmanpreet transitioned into the ODI captaincy after the 2022 World Cup, her relationship with Mithali was strained, which led to division within the team.
As Harmanpreet continues playing for the next few years, the focus will be on whether she and Mandhana can put aside their differences for the benefit of the team. Despite India’s recent successes in the Asia Cup and Asian Games, there is an expectation that Harmanpreet must step up her game as a player to maintain her position in the squad.
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