Harmanpreet still best person to lead India: Anjum Chopra

Former India player Anjum Chopra believes Harmanpreet Kaur remains the “best person” to lead the women’s national team even as debates around captaincy resurface ahead of a busy international season and the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL). With the Indian women’s team returning to action in a T20 series against Sri Lanka after their World Cup triumph, Chopra feels the focus should be firmly on sustaining momentum rather than speculating about leadership changes.

“My personal view over the past so many years has been that Harmanpreet Kaur is a match winner. I don’t think I need to say anything further,” Chopra told PTI Videos. “She’s the best person to lead this Indian team.” Chopra dismissed recent suggestion from former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy to change the captain, stressing that such views are personal.  “Everybody has their right to share what they feel. There’s nothing right or wrong.

It’s just the timing of it,” she said. “I still feel that she’s the correct person and the apt person to lead India.” Looking ahead to the Sri Lanka series, Chopra underlined the importance of quickly shifting focus back to cricket after weeks of celebrations. “The quicker they get back into playing. Everybody wants to continue that winning momentum,” she said. “The moment you step back onto the park, you want to start exactly from where you left.”

She added that the five-match T20 series is crucial preparation with another T20 World Cup on the horizon. The former opener also spoke at length about the evolving power game in women’s cricket, acknowledging comparisons with teams like Australia and New Zealand. “Power is not something that everybody is born with,” Chopra said. “There are certain players like Harman (Harmanpreet Kaur) and Richa(Ghosh). The power they possess is possibly natural power.” However, she stressed that power can be developed.

“Power is something that you can always gain. And there are techniques, there is a proper training to it,” she said, adding that Indian players have made significant progress. “You can’t be chasing down 340 runs without having those big hits… they are improving on that.’ Chopra credited leagues like the WPL for accelerating that growth. “Tournaments like the WPL, tournaments where the international players rub shoulders with our domestic players... That awareness will keep happening,” she said.