Pressure is mounting on Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur following yet another underwhelming performance in the second ODI against England. As India slumped to a comprehensive eight-wicket loss in a rain-curtailed match, social media and cricket circles buzzed with criticism directed at Kaur, with many urging the veteran batter to consider stepping away from the international scene.
The match, held at the County Ground in Derby on July 17, saw England chase down a revised target of 141 with ease, riding on a clinical 80-run knock from opener Tammy Beaumont. India’s innings, shortened to 31 overs due to rain, never found momentum. Despite a promising 88-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, the rest of the batting order faltered, including the captain herself, who managed only 9 runs.
Kaur’s current form has been under scrutiny for several months. Since returning from a two-match suspension in late 2023, she has struggled to find rhythm with the bat. In her last ten ODI innings, she has crossed 30 only once. As the leader of an evolving team, such a run of form is proving costly, especially when senior players are expected to anchor the innings and guide younger talents.
Critics and former players have not held back. One viral tweet read, “Harmanpreet is single-handedly dragging Indian women’s cricket backward.” Others have called her recent contributions “invisible” and questioned the selectors’ continued faith in her. While fan opinions often veer toward emotional extremes, the numbers back up the concerns.
Harmanpreet’s overall ODI average in 2024 stands at 17.40, with no fifties in her last 12 matches. Once celebrated for her explosive batting, particularly her 171* against Australia in the 2017 World Cup, she has not played an innings of that stature since.
Moreover, her strike rate has dropped to below 65 in recent outings—far below the standards required in modern limited-overs cricket. For a player often hailed as the face of women’s cricket in India, this form slump is drawing uncomfortable parallels to late-career declines seen in other legends who failed to adapt.
To make matters more complicated, India’s next series is a crucial one—a three-match ODI series against South Africa that will determine their qualification path for the Women’s Championship and potentially the 2025 World Cup. With young talents like Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, and Amanjot Kaur waiting in the wings, there is growing pressure on the team management to look beyond current leadership.
Team sources, however, suggest that there are no immediate plans to relieve Kaur of captaincy duties. “There is full backing for Harman at the moment,” said a BCCI women’s cricket official on condition of anonymity. “She has served Indian cricket for over a decade and is going through a rough patch. The coaching staff and selectors believe she’ll bounce back.”
But fans and analysts are less optimistic. Calls for change are intensifying not just because of her individual form but also India’s overall approach under her captaincy. Critics argue that the team often appears timid, reactive rather than proactive—a stark contrast to England’s aggressive, modern approach.
What further complicates the debate is the lack of a clear successor. While Smriti Mandhana has captained the side in the past, she too has been inconsistent. Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma are promising options but lack experience. The BCCI faces a delicate balancing act: nurture new leadership without disrupting team unity.
Harmanpreet herself has remained silent amidst the growing noise. After the second ODI defeat, she skipped the post-match press conference, with vice-captain Mandhana addressing the media instead. When asked about Kaur’s form, Mandhana responded diplomatically, “We all go through rough patches. Harman is a fighter and a match-winner. It’s only a matter of time before she gets back to her best.”
As of now, the Indian team trails 0-2 in the three-match series, with the final ODI scheduled in Worcester. Even if India wins, the larger questions surrounding leadership and long-term planning will remain.
In the eyes of many fans, the Harmanpreet era may be nearing its end. Whether she chooses to retire or is nudged toward it, the next few months will be pivotal—not just for her career but for the direction of Indian women’s cricket itself.
