'Win or loss, they say Harmanpreet Kaur should be removed' - Anjum Chopra shares her views on captaincy change talks

Published - 10 Nov 2025, 12:58 IST | Updated - 10 Nov 2025, 13:29 IST

Anjum Chopra expressed visible annoyance with Shantha Rangaswamy's opinion of having someone replace Harmanpreet Kaur as India captain despite her heroics during the Women's World Cup 2025. Rangaswamy, a former India captain in her own right, said that Harmanpreet should now focus on her batting and fielding. The 71-year-old feels that appointing a new captain could bode well for India in the future.

Harmanpreet led the Indian team commendably during their triumphant run in the World Cup. She also turned up with the bat, scoring 260 runs in eight games, including a gutsy 89 off 88 balls in the semi-finals against Australia.

Anjum Chopra mentioned that after every big tournament, irrespective of India's outcome, some people want to see Harmanpreet being sacked from her role as the skipper of the side. The former India captain refrained from elaborating on the matter as she did not want to ruin the celebratory mood in the country following the World Cup triumph.

"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.

Anjum shares great camaraderie with Harmanpreet, having seen her develop as a cricketer from close quarters. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that she has considered Harmanpreet a match-winner since the day she saw her playing for the first time. Anjum mentioned this as one of the reasons why she is vocal about the 36-year-old captaining the Women in Blue.

Didn’t know the last catch would come to me: Harmanpreet

"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," Anjum said.

"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," she concluded.