Former India captain says the team has "stagnated", calls for a new T20I captain and coaching staff after India's disappointing World Cup campaign
India's
early exit from the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 has triggered the first major calls for a leadership overhaul, with former captain Diana Edulji urging the BCCI to move on from both Harmanpreet Kaur and head coach Amol Muzumdar.
Just hours after the selectors retained Harmanpreet as captain for the upcoming Asian Games, Edulji said the time had come for Indian women's cricket to embrace fresh leadership in the T20 format.
"I think we should look beyond Harman," Edulji told Cricbuzz. "Though she is my favourite player and I've always supported her, I think we need to move on, at least in the T20Is. Let her continue as a player and think about a new captain. "
'Harmanpreet Kaur has stagnated'
Edulji believes Harmanpreet remains one of India's finest players but questioned whether she can still take the team forward tactically.
"We should have someone with a few better ideas, especially in terms of strategy. Also, bowling changes-there's a lot more that goes into the captaincy. I think she's stagnated now," she said.
Her comments come despite Harmanpreet producing one of India's standout batting performances during the World Cup semi-final defeat to Australia, where she almost single-handedly kept India in the contest.
However, Edulji argued that one innings should not overshadow the need for long-term planning.
Questions over Asian Games decision
The former BCCI Committee of Administrators member admitted she was surprised the selectors did not use the Asian Games as an opportunity to begin a transition.
Asked whether she agreed with Harmanpreet continuing as captain, Edulji replied: "No, I'm not. "
"We must look ahead, and this was the right time. Maybe it would have looked a bit like a knee-jerk reaction because we just lost the World Cup, but I think the time has come to take some hard decisions. "
She even drew comparisons with the men's team, where bold captaincy decisions have been taken in recent months.
"If we can take bold decisions in men's cricket, I think we should take bold decisions in women's cricket as well. "
Amol Muzumdar also comes under fire
Edulji's criticism was not limited to the captain.
She questioned whether head coach Amol Muzumdar had taken the team as far as he could.
"I don't see him being able to produce anything more now than what he has already done," she said.
"His contribution has been good. But I think we now need someone who can lift the morale of the team and be a little stricter. The girls need someone who can really push them out of their comfort zones. "
Selection decisions questioned
The former India captain also criticised several tactical and selection decisions made during the World Cup.
She questioned the inclusion of Yastika Bhatia, arguing the reserve wicketkeeper's role offered little balance to the squad.
"Yastika Bhatia was played as what? She couldn't come out to bat. She's not a bowler. She's the second wicketkeeper. So it was a wasted position. "
Edulji also felt in-form domestic performers such as Nandni Sharma and Kranti Goud deserved greater opportunities after impressing in the Women's Premier League.
Retirement of Jemimah Rodrigues 'made no sense'
One of the most controversial moments of India's World Cup campaign came when Jemimah Rodrigues was retired out during the closing stages against Australia.
Edulji was unconvinced by the tactical move.
"That makes no sense. Absolutely no sense," she said.
According to Edulji, the larger issue is that players have become too comfortable in their positions.
"There's too much of a comfort zone now where they feel there's nobody behind them. That's where we have to build a strong second string, so every player knows someone is waiting for their opportunity. "
Calls for separate T20 and ODI teams
Edulji also proposed a major structural change to Indian women's cricket.
She believes India should stop fielding the same core group across all formats and instead build specialist squads.
"We need to think of a different T20 team. We can't have the same team playing all formats. "
She also suggested separate captains and coaching staffs for white-ball formats.
"I think we should even have different coaches and different captains. It's time we moved on from this support staff. "
Fielding and fitness remain India's biggest weakness
While India's batting remained competitive throughout much of the tournament, Edulji pointed to fielding as the team's biggest downfall.
India dropped 11 catches during the World Cup-among the worst records in the tournament-and she questioned whether enough improvement had been made under the fielding setup.
She also highlighted the unsettled pace attack, saying constant chopping and changing prevented bowlers from gaining confidence.
"We have only ourselves to blame, particularly because of our loss to South Africa, with our fielding letting us down completely. "
Olympic qualification offers silver lining
Despite her criticism, Edulji welcomed India's qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, congratulating ICC chairman Jay Shah after the milestone was confirmed.
She believes India have the talent to win an Olympic medal but warned that meaningful changes must happen before then.
"I only hope they don't keep this same team all the way till the Olympics," she said.
With Harmanpreet retained as captain for the Asian Games and the BCCI showing no immediate signs of changing either the leadership group or coaching staff, Edulji's remarks are unlikely to prompt instant action. However, they add significant weight to the growing debate over whether India's repeated failures in ICC knockout matches require more than just tactical adjustments, and whether a fresh leadership cycle is needed ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
