Team India scripted history by clinching their first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title after defeating South Africa in the final match. Playing at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team edged past the Proteas by 52 runs to lift the coveted trophy. It was a complete team effort with the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma brilliantly contributing to the team’s success. It was a memorable moment as the entire country celebrated wholeheartedly, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally meeting the players and congratulating them.
Amid the celebrations, former India skipper Shantha Rangaswamy had stated that Harmanpreet should now step down from captaincy and focus more on her batting and fielding. Speaking to PTI, Rangaswamy emphasized that the change should be made with the long-term future of the team in mind.
Her remarks drew mixed reactions worldwide. Many fans criticized Rangaswamy for downplaying Harmanpreet’s potential.
In an exclusive chat with NDTV, former India captain Anjum Chopra expressed visible displeasure with Rangaswamy’s statement and chose not to comment further.
“After every World Cup, there’s one statement like this that comes out. Pick out the last four or five World Cups and you can see how many times these kinds of statements have been made. When India lose a tournament, they say Harman should be removed. When India win a tournament, they say Harman should be removed,” Anjum told NDTV.
“So, these kinds of statements are given every time. I seriously don’t want to comment on this right now as it would spoil the moment of India’s victory,” she added.
Harmanpreet and Anjum share a very close bond. Even after winning the World Cup trophy, the Indian captain credited Anjum for the support she showed her during her early days.
Reflecting on Harmanpreet’s journey, Anjum said, “When I saw her on the first day she played domestic cricket with us. Later, we were all in an Indian camp, playing a Challenger Trophy tournament in Mumbai in 2007-08. I immediately noticed how talented she was-an under-19 player who could hit the ball a long way. I was certain that she was special.”
She continued, “I played with her in domestic cricket before she joined the Indian team. The kind of skill Harman showcased in those few outings impressed me greatly. From Day 1 until today, not even for a moment have I ever thought she is not a match-winner. That’s why I have always been vocal over the years that Harman should be our captain.”