Snehasis Mukherjee in Dubai
India is set to face Sri Lanka today in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Yesterday, India had their pre-match press conference at 5:45 PM Dubai time. All eyes were on whether captain Harmanpreet Kaur would attend. Surprisingly, she did not. Instead, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana took charge.
The first question asked was about Harmanpreet’s availability. Smriti confirmed that she is fine and available for today’s game. What stood out was how Smriti handled the rest of the questions. She acknowledged their performance issues and accepted that India has not played its best cricket yet. This showed great leadership and accountability.
India had won two warm-up games but then suffered a significant defeat against New Zealand. That loss hit their net run rate (NRR) hard. Smriti admitted they were poor in all three departments in that match. What made fans more upset was that neither coach Amol Mazumdar nor captain Harmanpreet attended the press conference after that defeat. Instead, Jemimah Rodrigues had to face the questions.
As a leader, it should have been Harmanpreet’s responsibility to step up and speak on behalf of the team. After all, a captain is expected to take charge during tough times. This was not the only instance; before the game against Pakistan, which India won, it was bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi who attended the press conference, not Harmanpreet. Even after the win, it was Arundhati Reddy, the player of the match, who spoke.
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Yesterday, however, Smriti showed how it should be done. She faced the questions, accepted their mistakes, and set an example. Smriti openly said, “Despite winning against Pakistan, we have not played the kind of cricket we want to. Against New Zealand, we were just poor in all departments. It was a bad day.”
When asked about the NRR, Smriti explained that it was on their minds. However, she said the conditions were different, and that is why they had to change their approach. She also shared her frustration over playing too many dot balls against Pakistan.
On the other side, Sri Lanka’s captain, Chamari Athapaththu, is also struggling. She admitted it has been a tough tournament for her as both captain and batter. But like Smriti, Chamari promised to make a comeback, starting with today’s game against India.
Harmanpreet Kaur is one of India’s most experienced players. But when things go wrong, she must take charge. As captain, it is her job to lead both on and off the field. Hopefully, she plays today and delivers a big win for India. If not, then she should be the one addressing the press, taking responsibility for the team’s mistakes. A true leader stands tall in tough times, and that is what Indian fans expect from Harmanpreet.
Also Read: Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu hopes to hit form against India