Former India women’s cricket team captain Diana Edulji said
time is up for veteran Harmanpreet Kaur and youngster Shafali Verma since both
have been struggling to score runs. Edulji said it is time for the team
management to make some harsh decisions.

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The ICC Women’s World Cup is starting on March 4 in
New Zealand and the Indian team is yet to find the lost rhythm.  So far, the team has failed to win a single
match in its ongoing tour of New Zealand. India have already lost the ODI
series 3-0 in a five-match series. Both Harmanpreet Kaur and Shafali Verma
failed to shine with the bat. In the fourth ODI as well Kaur fell for 13 while
Verma did better to score 51.

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Edulji said the T20I captain should be dropped from the
team. The former India women’s cricket team member said Harmanpreet has become
India’s burden since she smashed 171 against Australia in the 2019 World Cup in
England. He also urged coach Ramesh Powar to apply the same “yardstick which
was used to drop Jemimah Rodrigues.”

“If you are going with the same yardstick which
was used to drop Jemimah Rodrigues, what the coach had mentioned, the same
yardstick should be applied to Harmanpreet,” Edulji told PTI.

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‘Effort
has to be there’

“I am very disappointed with her. She was my favourite
player but you can’t survive on that one innings (171 against Australia in
2017). She is only one innings away from a big knock but the effort has to be
there. I will be the happiest if she proves me wrong. I just want the team to
win the World Cup,” she further stated.

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Talking about Verma, Edulji said the bowlers have
discovered Shafali’s weakness and she wants the 18-year-old to work on her
game.       

“Shafali needs a little rap on the knuckle, she needs
proper grooming. She is moving towards the square leg and playing. There is no
stillness in her stance. I can’t understand why.” 

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“When she was scoring, there wasn’t this type of
(trigger) movement. Bowlers have found her out and that is why she is moving
away from the stumps to play her strokes,” said Edulji.

Smriti
Mandhana front runner for captaincy

Edulji also rated Smriti Mandhana as the front runner
for the leadership role in all three formats after current skipper Mithali
Raj. 

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“Even on captaincy front, Smriti is the front
runner for all formats after Mithali as Harman is not performing. I wouldn’t
mind dropping her for the next game. Sneh Rana is a good replacement for
her,” said the 66-year-old, who was also a member of the Supreme
Court-appointed committee that governed BCCI for 33 months.