Former Indian captain Mithali Raj has suggested a leadership overhaul in the Indian women’s cricket team following their disappointing exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side faced a tough loss against Australia, narrowly missing out by nine runs, leading to their exit from the group stage.
India’s recent performances in major tournaments have been underwhelming, with an exit in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2023 and a runner-up finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. With mounting pressure on Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy, Mithali Raj voiced her support for a leadership change.
In a conversation with PTI, Raj recommended Jemimah Rodrigues as a promising candidate for the captaincy role, especially with the ODI World Cup 2025 approaching. She emphasized the importance of making a timely decision to bring stability and balance to the team.
‘She’s young, she will serve you more’ – Mithali Raj on Rodrigues
“If the selectors decide to change, I would go for a young captain. This is the time [to change]; if you delay more, then we have another [ODI] World Cup on the horizon [October 2025],” Mithali stated.
Raj praised Rodrigues for her spirited performances in the T20 World Cup 2024, despite her inability to convert starts into big scores. She admired Rodrigues’ energy on the field and her commitment to building and maintaining momentum during games.
“Jemimah, she’s 24, she’s young, she will serve you more. And [she] is someone who I feel on the field gets that energy. She speaks to everybody. I was very impressed by her in this tournament,” Mithali added.
While Mithali Raj backs Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana also remains a potential candidate for the captaincy role, given her recent success in leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to victory in the Women’s Premier League 2024.
