Recently World Cup-winning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur should hand over the captain’s mantle to Smriti Mandhana, former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy said, adding that change is necessary to keep an eye on the team’s long-term future. Rangaswamy felt that leaving the captaincy would be beneficial for Harmanpreet who would remain an invaluable member of the team due to her batting and fielding skills. Under Harman’s captaincy, India became ODI world champions on Sunday and the next edition is scheduled to be held in 2029 while the T20 tournament will be held in the UK next year.
“It’s overdue. Because Harman as a batsman and a brilliant player. Yes. But tactically, she can falter sometimes. I feel she can contribute more if she is without the burden of leadership. Look, when he comes after a success like that (a World Cup win), it will not be handled well but in the interest of Indian cricket and Harman’s own interest, I think she can contribute much more as a batsman without the burden of leadership. She still has three or four years left to go,” Rangaswamy told PTI. Big game of cricket. Not being a leader would allow her to do that. Smriti should become a leader across formats.”
Rangaswamy also pointed out the case of Rohit Sharma as the selectors moved him for the team after he led India to the Champions Trophy title earlier this year.
Rangaswamy couldn’t be happier about the team winning the title on home turf, but she was also keen to talk about the weak areas. “Nowadays, batting was the weakest link. Now batting looks stable but bowling has become a worry. The fielding could also be a lot better.”
“Australia lost only because they did not have a good bowling attack. I would say Pakistan and Bangladesh had better bowling attacks. Australia lost only because they did not have a good bowling attack,” Rangaswamy said, referring to seven-time champions Australia’s loss to India in the semi-finals where the latter could not defend 338 all out.
(With agency input)
(tags for translation) Shantha Rangaswamy
