Diana Edulji has demanded the dismissal of India women’s national cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur after the team failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Giving a strong message to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Edulji believes that the time has come to move away from having the same captain for all three formats of the game. He said that Harmanpreet has been leading the team for a long time, so she wants freedom now. Meanwhile, India vs Pakistan clash in Asian Legends League 2026 confirmed; Yusuf Pathan, Shikhar Dhawan will be included
Diana Edulji urges BCCI to relieve Harmanpreet Kaur of captaincy burden
Speaking at the trophy unveiling ceremony of the Maharani Trophy KSCA T20 in Bengaluru, Diana Edulji revealed that the pressure of leading the team is now impacting Harmanpreet Kaur’s own performance. Therefore, he should be allowed to play freely as a batsman without the added burden of captaining all three formats of the game, as suggested by the former BCCI official.
He told that Harmanpreet was once one of the best all-rounders in India, but in the last few years she has focused more on batting and her batting is no longer as impressive. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja set to return in Sri Lanka Test; India’s pace attack was selected for the series.
Diana Edulji was quoted as saying at the event by News 18, “I believe Harmanpreet Kaur is finding it difficult as a captain. Her game is getting affected, so as a batsman she should be given free rein. She used to be a great all-rounder, but then she limited herself to batting only. However, now we are seeing that her batting is also getting affected. I believe it has been too long; we need young players. needs to be allowed to lead.”
Diana Edulji suggests divided captaincy for Indian women
Additionally, Edulji has called three different captains for Tests, ODIs and T20Is like the men’s team and has given some space to Harmanpreet Kaur. However, Shubman Gill leads India in Tests and ODIs, while Shreyas Iyer has been handed the T20I captaincy.
She wants the same arrangement for the women’s team, which will help the team create more leaders and bring new energy in the dressing room.
The former cricketer also suggested the BCCI to think about having different coaches for different formats for the women’s team as every format requires a different style of planning and different ideas. He believes that new thinking is important if India has to become a dominant team.
Currently, Amol Majumdar is the head coach of the India women’s national cricket team in all three formats of the game. “I recommend split captaincy. Even a system with three different coaches will benefit us. It is very important to bring in new ideas and step out of your comfort zone,” she said.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma supported replacing Harmanpreet Kaur
Well, when asked who could become India’s next captain, Edulji took the names of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. He believes that both the players have the potential to become strong leaders in the future.
Even former Indian captain Mithali Raj had earlier supported both these stars for captaincy. Edulji signed off by saying, “We definitely have the talent, namely Smriti and Shafali. We need to train these cricketers going forward.”
