Harmanpreet Kaur to be sacked as India captain following T20 World Cup 2024 debacle, BCCI seek new leadership

New Delhi: India’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign ended prematurely as the team was eliminated in the group stage after losses to New Zealand and Australia. Despite having one of the stronger squads in the tournament, the women’s team failed to qualify for the semifinals, starting with a disappointing loss to the Kiwis, which left Harmanpreet Kaur’s side fighting to stay in contention throughout the group stages.

In the wake of the disappointing performance at the Women’s T20 World Cup, reports suggest that the BCCI and team management are considering replacing Harmanpreet Kaur as captain to focus on the future. Head coach Amol Mazumdar is scheduled to meet with BCCI officials and the selection committee to discuss the next steps for the women’s team, as reported by The Indian Express.

“The BCCI will certainly discuss whether to have a new captain on board going ahead,” said a source quoted in the report. “The Indian board has provided everything the team wanted, and we feel it’s high time a new face led the team in the future.”

The meeting between head coach Amol Mazumdar and BCCI officials is set to occur before the series against New Zealand, starting on October 24. It remains uncertain whether any changes to the captaincy will be implemented immediately or if Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the team for this series.

Harmanpreet Kaur has led the Indian women’s team since her appointment in 2016. Although the team has consistently reached the later stages of tournaments, including several finals, the management is contemplating a reset in preparation for the critical home ODI World Cup in 2025.

“Harmanpreet will continue to be an important member of the team but the BCCI feels it’s time for transition,” commented the source. Kaur had a solid performance on an individual level in the World Cup with bat.

Recently, former India captain Mithali Raj criticized the team’s stagnation over the past three years under Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership, highlighting their failure to advance to the knockout stages in multiple ICC tournaments. Raj believes it’s the right time for a captaincy change to enhance future results.

“It’s up to BCCI and the selectors to take a call, but if they are looking to change, this would be the ideal time because if you delay more, then we have another World Cup on the horizon (two years). If you are not doing it now, then don’t do it later. Then it is too close to the World Cup,” she was quoted as saying by PTI.

Instead of endorsing Harmanpreet Kaur’s deputy, Smriti Mandhana, for the captaincy, Mithali Raj has proposed Jemimah Rodrigues as a potential candidate. Raj believes that Jemimah’s youth would allow her to serve as captain for a longer period compared to Smriti.

“Smriti is there, of course, and can be a choice to consider for the selectors, but I personally think someone like Jemimah—she’s 24, she’s young, she will serve you longer in the T20s, and she’s someone who I feel on the field gets that energy. She speaks to everybody. I was very impressed by her in this tournament,” Mithali said.

The leading candidate to replace Harmanpreet Kaur as captain is current vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who boasts significant leadership experience. She recently guided Royal Challengers Bangalore to the WPL title in 2024 and has previously captained India in Kaur’s absence.

A captaincy refresh could provide India with a strategic advantage in crucial knockout matches, particularly against teams that have demonstrated consistent improvement across formats in recent years.