Mithali Raj, the former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, has advocated that 24-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues should take over the captaincy role of the Indian squad from Harmanpreet Kaur. In light of the fact that the Women in Blue did not reach the last four of the ongoing 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup being held in the UAE, the prospects of Harmanpreet leading the team India in future remain uncertain. Indian Express announced on Tuesday that before the commencement of the New Zealand ODI series at the end of this month in India, the BCCI has also decided to make a decision regarding the captaincy of Harman.
“There will be a discussion in the BCCI for sure where a new captain for the team in the future may be explored. Everything that the Indian board has asked the team has been provided and we believe it is time for a new face to take charge of the team. Harmanpreet will continue to be an integral part of the squad, but the transition is what BCCI thinks is overdue,” a source was quoted by Indian Express.
The batting icon, who co-holds the record for the most runs in the Women’s T20 World Cup with Mithali Raj believes that changing the captain is overdue.
“The Power to the power of the BCCI and the selectors, but if they want to change, this is the most opposite moment since otherwise, postponing such changes would end up with another World Cup (in two years). If it is not done now, then it should not be done in the future. That is because the World Cup is already too close,’ she informed PTI.”
However, it was not the deputy of Harman, Smriti Mandhana who she proposed instead, but recruited Jemimah. She believes that Jemimah is younger than Smriti and therefore will last longer.
“Smriti exists, of course, and can be a candidate for the selectors to think about, however, it is my opinion that someone like Jemimah—she’s 24, she’s young, she will serve you longer in the T20s, and she’s someone who I feel on the field, gets that energy. She talks to everyone. I was highly impressed with her in this tournament,” said Mithali.
“Even playing those cameo parts, she however could not make the most of her starts, but she is someone who really tried to help generate the energy level if there was none, and if there was, she did her best to help pursue that,” added Mithali.
More than 104 T20I matches to date and counting, Jemimah who made her bow against South Africa on February 13, 2018, has so far scored 2142 runs.
