ICC Women's World Cup: Leadership, not luck, has let India down

Harmanpreet Kaur must lead by example (PTI Photo)

After consecutive defeats to South Africa and Australia, India’s World Cup campaign has unravelled and Harmanpreet Kaur’s post-match reactions have done little to inspire confidence. Her statements blaming the top and lower order betray a deeper issue: India’s captain has stopped looking in the mirror.

When a leader starts deflecting instead of reflecting, the cracks widen. Across this tournament, India’s failures haven’t stemmed from one poor innings or a bad day in the field, they’ve come from leadership marked by rigidity, indecision, and visible frustration. The batting order has been stuck in the same pattern despite clear signs it isn’t working. Players like Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, who could have been floated up the order for better matchups, have been held back.

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Worse, moments of public emotion, like Harmanpreet shouting at Harleen Deol during a mix-up, have only amplified the tension within the side. Such behaviour doesn’t just reveal pressure; it spreads it. And this isn't the first instance. Leadership is about calm in chaos, not chaos itself.

Then there’s planning. Against Australia, India entered a high-pressure game with only five bowling options, a decision that backfired once the main bowlers came under attack. The field placements too raised eyebrows. When Ellyse Perry walked in and Deepti Sharma was in her groove, there was not a single slip in place. Everyone in world cricket knows that if Australia bat deep, they chase anything. And on just the fourth ball of Perry’s innings, a full delivery outside off took a thick edge that would have gone straight to a slip, instead, it raced to the boundary, and Perry settled in. Small tactical lapses like these separate teams that threaten from those that win.

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Through it all, one thing stands out: Harmanpreet has rarely spoken about her own form, or lack of it. She is getting out to the same kind of deliveries, in the same area and is the only captain, among the top teams, in this World Cup so far not to have even a single 50 + score to her name. She has skipped multiple post-match press conferences after losses, leaving others to explain the team’s failures. Accountability, however, begins at the top. Before calling out her teammates for not taking responsibility, Harmanpreet must lead by example, in words, in strategy, and in self-assessment. Because at the moment, it isn’t India’s talent that’s losing them matches. It’s their leadership.