3 reasons why India Women must move on from Harmanpreet Kaur as captain
India Women are currently locked in battle with Australia. The second T20I between the two sides transpired in Navi Mumbai yesterday, and the visitors triumphed in the penultimate over to level the series 1-1.
Prior to the T20I rubber, the Women in Blue turned in a disappointing ODI performance against the Aussies. While the reigning world champions are clearly the best team in the world, it's safe to say that the hosts haven't been anywhere close to their best for a while now.
Part of the blame must fall on captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has courted criticism from all sides recently. In the same way that they moved on from Mithali Raj, India might need to shift their faith to a new captain who can take the team forward in the desired manner.
Here are three reasons why India Women must move on from Harmanpreet Kaur as captain.
#3 Harmanpreet's India don't seem to take ownership of their mistakes
This is an aspect of the game that isn't limited to the field. In fact, it has more to do with what Harmanpreet Kaur says in interviews and press conferences, which have caught the eye - and not for the right reasons - lately.
After India's loss in the second T20I against Australia, Harmanpreet remarked that the outcome could've been different had Shreyanka Patil been on target in the penultimate over. Unfortunately, it wasn't a statement befitting a leader, with name-calling rightfully frowned upon.
India didn't score nearly enough runs to get over the line, and while Harmanpreet seemed to acknowledge that, she also directly pointed fingers at a youngster who has been a breath of fresh air since entering the team. More importantly, the skipper hasn't appeared to take accountability for her own batting form, which has let the team down on several occasions.
In the ongoing white-ball leg against Australia, India's fielding has been distinctly subpar for the most part. And while players like Jemimah Rodrigues have come out and openly admitted that the Women in Blue need to do better, Harmanpreet has appeared to brush over that topic without giving it the necessary importance.
Speaking to the media isn't an accurate reflection of a leader, and Harmanpreet might be a different figure in the dressing room. At the same time, though, it's imperative for a captain to represent the team with conviction in public, something that has been clearly lacking often enough to actually call attention to it.
#2 Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy has been sub-par from a tactical standpoint
Captaincy in white-ball cricket might be dwindling in importance as analytics take over, but it's not entirely gone yet. Skippers have quite a few decisions to make on the field, and they influence the game in varying degrees.
Tactically, Harmanpreet and the team management have been way off the mark in certain aspects. In almost every game, the Indian captain makes at least a couple of decisions that defy conventional wisdom, and they haven't come off.
Deepti Sharma has been used up the order even though it's clear that her attacking game isn't developed enough to benefit the team in that role. More dynamic batters like Pooja Vastrakar and Shreyanka haven't been used up the order even in favorable situations.
In the second ODI against Australia, debutant Mannat Kashyap was given just three overs and wasn't brought on even when a wicket fell. In the same series, Richa Ghosh was deployed at No. 3, leaving the middle order without any firepower.
Harmanpreet's bowling changes and field placements have also been confusing. She has often left batters' strong areas vacant, with the likes of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Phoebe Litchfield capitalizing in the recent past.
India's over rate has been dismal even while playing with a spin-heavy attack. That is to go with their team selection decisions, with plenty of talented players - Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Sneh Rana, Harleen Deol and Dayalan Hemalatha, to name a few - falling out of favor under Harmanpreet's tenure.
The captain isn't the sole owner of these mistakes, but the responsibility must fall on Harmanpreet more than anyone else. Her leadership has been suboptimal for a while now, and it might be time for India to have a more astute name at the helm.
#1 Harmanpreet's batting form has been patchy for the most part
It's a well-known fact that Harmanpreet Kaur's displays in non-World Cup years has been incredibly patchy. 2013, 2017 and 2022 are the only calendar years in the last decade in which she has averaged more than 50 in ODIs.
In 2023, Harmanpreet averaged just 17 over the course of five ODIs. That figure was 21.66 in 2018, 38 in 2019, and 32.66 in 2021. Meanwhile, in T20Is, the 34-year-old has managed only five fifties in 67 matches since the start of 2019, and she has averaged less than 25 in four of the six years since.
Harmanpreet has been incredibly inconsistent with the bat for a while now, and things have reached a tipping point. With single-digit scores in each of her last seven white-ball matches, the experienced batter is seriously short on form.
Whether she should be part of the team or not is another debate altogether, but Harmanpreet cannot afford to put up such displays while being the captain. Taking the responsibility off her shoulders could help the side in many ways.