Former India women’s cricket team captain Diana Edulji has called for a split-captaincy system and separate coaches for the national team. She believes India should give Smriti Mandhana a chance to lead the T20I side, while Harmanpreet Kaur could continue as captain in Test cricket.
Edulji’s comments came after Harmanpreet was named captain of the Indian team for the upcoming Asian Games. The former captain said she disagreed with the decision and felt it was time for India to think about a change in leadership in white-ball cricket.
Speaking about possible options for the captaincy, Edulji said India already have talented players who can be prepared for leadership roles in the future.
“We definitely have talent, namely Smriti and Shafali. We need to train these cricketers to lead moving forward.”
Edulji believes India should not keep Smriti Mandhana waiting for too long. She feels the left-handed opener can take charge of the T20I team and could also be considered for the 50-over format.
“It is time to move on, at least in the captaincy part. We cannot keep Smriti waiting in the wings for so long. We can ask Smriti to lead at least in the T20 format, and perhaps in 50-over too. Harmanpreet can continue in Tests. We can even have three different coaches; we don’t need one coach for all three formats,”
Edulji made these comments at the trophy unveiling ceremony of the Maharani Trophy KSCA T20 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on July 20.
Her views come after India’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, where the team were eliminated during the group stage. Edulji believes the result should lead to a fresh look at the team’s leadership and coaching structure.
Edulji also spoke about Harmanpreet’s current form and said she believes the pressure of captaincy may be affecting her batting. “I believe Harmanpreet is finding it difficult. Her game is getting affected, so let her have a free hand as a batter. She was a great all-rounder, but then she limited herself to batting. However, now we see her batting getting affected as well. It’s been too long; we don’t have new ideas.”
According to Edulji, allowing Harmanpreet to focus only on her batting could help her regain her best form. She feels that a change in leadership could also give India a fresh direction in white-ball cricket.
The former captain’s comments came soon after the announcement that Harmanpreet would continue to captain India at the upcoming Asian Games, a decision Edulji does not agree with.
Edulji’s comments have once again started the discussion around India’s captaincy and coaching setup. With Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma among the younger senior players who could take on greater leadership responsibilities, India may have several options to consider as they plan for the future.
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