If India are taking a look at shifting on from Harmanpreet Kaur as their captain, the time is now. That’s the opinion of Mithali Raj, following India’s group-stage exit from the ladies’s T20 World Cup. Harmanpreet has been in cost since changing Raj in 2016 and has led the workforce at 4 T20 World Cups, however the newest one has been the poorest by way of outcomes – they made at the very least the semi-finals within the three earlier editions.
“If the selectors decide to change, I would go for a young captain,” Raj informed PTI. “That is the time [to change]; should you delay extra then we now have one other [ODI] World Cup on the horizon [October 2025]. In case you are not doing it now, then don’t do it later. Then it’s too near the World Cup.
“Despite playing those cameo roles, she never could convert her starts, but [she is] someone who really made an effort to build a momentum if there was no momentum; and if there was momentum, she tried to carry that momentum [forward].”
Raj highlighted India’s incapacity to adapt shortly as the primary purpose for his or her poor present. India got here into this event on the again of two months of camps and match simulation in Bengaluru, not like Australia or New Zealand, who performed one another, or South Africa, who scheduled a late tour to Pakistan.
“Surprisingly, we took time to adjust to the slowness of the wicket,” Raj stated. “Unlike an ODI World Cup, it is a short tournament, you don’t have a lot of time to adjust to the conditions. Someone like [New Zealand captain] Sophie Devine was able to score that many runs [57 not out] against us and she is not used to playing on slow tracks. We were not quick enough to adjust.”
Wanting on the greater image, Raj lamented the India workforce’s lack of “growth” over the previous three years. She felt India had been “content” beating the lower-ranked groups and have been “saturated” when it got here to tackling huge groups like Australia.
“Why does the men’s team do well? Immediately after a big series or a big tournament, they try others. If we are talking about depth, then when are we giving them chances?”
Mithali Raj
“I feel that in the last two-three years, I’ve not really seen any growth in this team,” Raj stated. “In the sense, like, I mean, beating the best side is what you always prepare for, but it seems like we are saturated in the sense we are beating other teams, and we are pretty happy in that. Every other team has shown growth despite limited depth, a case in point being South Africa. We have not.”
Raj questioned a number of the workforce administration’s ways within the lead-up to the World Cup too. Like on the Asia Cup, the place India selected to area the regulars and didn’t give alternatives to fringe gamers.
“I was doing commentary in the Asia Cup. To be very honest, I didn’t know what was happening,” she stated. “I’m positive they have been conscious that Asia Cup is the final collection of matches that they’re going to play earlier than the World Cup. When you recognize that that is the final sport time that you simply’re going to have earlier than you enter the massive event, you do at the very least 70% of your planning or 80% of your planning. Like who your No. 5 or No. 6 is, these are individuals who would stroll in a specific state of affairs. However there it appeared they have been taking part in just for that event.
Mithali Raj desires to see Jemimah Rodrigues given the reins of the T20I workforce•ICC/Getty Pictures
“It didn’t seem like it was anywhere closer to… what we got to see in the World Cup. We could have given more opportunities to the bench against lower-ranked teams in Asia Cup, but we didn’t. Why does the men’s team do well? Immediately after a big series or a big tournament, they try others. If we are talking about depth, then when are we giving them chances?”
Raj was additionally vital of the health ranges of a number of the gamers, which she felt contributed to them dropping catches. In opposition to Australia, India dropped three catches and will have presumably transformed two extra half-chances.
“Against Australia, I was very disappointed to see, other than Radha Yadav and Jemi to some extent, I don’t think there was anybody,” she stated. “So we can not have simply two gamers out of 11 being good.
“In terms of fitness, we need to have a benchmark. Honestly, how much can you work in a month? It’s something that you do around the year. It’s not like just before the tournament, you have a camp and it’s just going to really show the difference on the field.”
