Shillong: Former Indian captain Mithali Raj wants a fresh leadership start for the national women’s team. She suggests Smriti Mandhana take the reins for Test and ODI matches. Shafali Varma should helm the T20 side. This shift follows India’s early exit from the latest T20 World Cup.
Harmanpreet Kaur currently serves as captain. She is 37 years old. Mithali notes her recent struggles with consistency and physical fitness. "Yes, we did not qualify for the semifinals for the second time in a row but that cannot be the only reason or criteria to come to conclusion that you need to change the leader," Mithali said. She argues the team requires a long-term plan rather than focusing on one tournament at a time.
Selectors may change leadership after the Asian Games in Japan this September and October. Mithali blames poor fitness for recent failures in fielding and pace bowling. She also pointed to the coach, Amol Muzumdar, saying he shares responsibility for playing XI decisions. Beyond leadership, she wants the board to develop finishers like Richa Ghosh.
Mithali highlighted the lack of a pipeline for new captains. She pointed to Shafali Varma and Jemimah Rodrigues as potential T20 leaders. Varma previously led the Under-19 team to a World Cup win. Yet, the current management has failed to groom replacements. The board relies too heavily on existing stars. They lack a roadmap for the future.
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