Former India captain Diana Edulji has urged the BCCI to revamp the leadership structure of the women's team by introducing separate captains for all three formats. Speaking during the trophy unveiling ceremony of the Maharani Trophy KSCA T20 in Bengaluru, Edulji said the current setup has placed too much responsibility on Harmanpreet Kaur and believes the transition to a new generation of leaders should begin immediately.

 

Edulji argued that India should follow the model adopted by the men's team, where leadership responsibilities are divided across formats. She also suggested that a split coaching structure would bring fresh ideas into the national setup instead of relying on a single coaching group across all formats. She said,

 

"I recommend a split captaincy. Even a system with three different coaches would benefit us. It’s very important to bring in fresh ideas and get out of our comfort zone."

 

Has captaincy affected Harmanpreet's game?

 

While acknowledging Harmanpreet's contribution to Indian cricket, Edulji felt the burden of captaincy has started affecting her individual performances. She said relieving the veteran of leadership duties could help her focus entirely on batting, while also opening the door for younger players to gain experience as captains. Edulji said,

 

"I believe Harmanpreet is finding it difficult as captain. Her game is getting affected, so let her have a free hand as a batter. She used to be a great all-rounder, but then she limited herself to only batting. However, now we see her batting getting affected as well. I believe it’s been too long; we need to allow younger players to lead."

 

Her remarks come despite Harmanpreet guiding India to the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup title and the recent Test victory over England at Lord's.

 

Read also: "I Think He Should" - Ravi Shastri Sends Clear Message on Rohit Sharma's World Cup Future

 

Who could lead India's next generation?

 

Edulji identified Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma as the leading candidates to take over leadership responsibilities in the coming years. She stressed that both players should be groomed for captaincy as part of a long-term succession plan. She said,

 

"We definitely have talent, namely Smriti and Shafali. We need to train these cricketers to lead moving forward." 

 

The debate around India's leadership has intensified following the team's group-stage exit at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, although Harmanpreet has previously indicated that she has no immediate plans to step down from the role.