Ex-skipper Shantha Rangaswamy says India’s World Cup hero should hand over the captaincy to Smriti Mandhana for the team’s future
Former national team skipper Shantha Rangaswamy. File pic/AFP
It may seem a tad harsh a day after India’s pathbreaking triumph in the Women’s ODI World Cup, but for the greater good, former national team skipper Shantha Rangaswamy wants Harmanpreet Kaur to step down from captaincy, something she feels is long overdue.
Speaking to PTI, Rangaswamy believes that leaving captaincy would be beneficial for 36-year-old Harmanpreet, who remains invaluable to the team as a batter and a gun fielder.
She said the change has to be made with the long-term future of the team in mind. The ODI World Cup is scheduled in 2029, while the T20 showpiece is in the UK next year.
Star opener Smriti Mandhana, who is 29, is the obvious choice for a new captain, said Rangaswamy. “It’s overdue. Because Harman, as a batter and a fielder, is brilliant. Yes. But tactically, she can fumble at times. I feel she can contribute more if she’s without the burden of captaincy.
“See, when it comes after a success like this (World Cup win), it will not be taken well, but in the interest of Indian cricket and in Harman’s own interest, I think she can contribute much more as a batter without the burden of captaincy.
“She still has three-four years of big-time cricket left. Not being captain would allow her to do that. Smriti should be made captain across formats. You need to plan for future World Cups also,” said Rangaswamy.
She also referred to Rohit Sharma’s case as the selectors moved on from him for the team’s sake after he captained India to the Champions Trophy title earlier this year.
Need to improve bowling Rangaswamy could not be happier about the team’s title-winning run at home, but she also made it a point to talk about the vulnerable areas.
“In our days, batting used to be the weaker link.
Now batting has a settled look, but bowling is a concern. Fielding, too, can 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. The batters did the job for us,” said Rangaswamy, referring to seven-time champions Australia losing to India in the semifinals, with the latter not being able to defend 338.
Popularity to rise
Reaching the final in 2017 made women’s cricket popular in India, but the win on Sunday night will lead to an explosion in girls taking up the sport, predicted Rangaswamy.
“10 years down the line, you would see the massive impact of this win. This will inspire millions to take up the sport,” she said.
She lauded outgoing chief selector Neetu David and her team for picking a championship-winning squad.
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