Diana Edulji Urges Split Captaincy for Indian Women's Cricket Team
Former India captain suggests fresh leadership structure after early World Cup exit.
India's women's cricket team faces another period of introspection after failing to reach the knockout stages of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. Despite early wins against Pakistan and the Netherlands, the team's campaign ended in disappointment, sparking debate over its leadership and direction.
Diana Edulji, a former India captain, has called on the BCCI to adopt a split-captaincy model across formats instead of relying solely on Harmanpreet Kaur. She believes the burden of captaincy is hurting Harmanpreet's batting and that it is time to groom younger players for leadership roles. "Let her have a free hand as a batter. We need to allow younger players to lead," Edulji said.
Edulji also recommended bringing in different coaches for each format to inject fresh ideas and move the team out of its comfort zone. She identified Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma as potential future captains, signaling confidence in the existing talent pool to usher in a new era for Indian women's cricket.