Smriti Mandhana, the incumbent women's team vice-captain, will take charge as the leader of the Indian cricket team in the Asian Games 2023 quarter-finals and semi-finals. This decision comes after Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the women's team, was slapped with a two-match ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for her inappropriate behavior during the third ODI against Bangladesh.
Kaur's actions, which included smashing the stumps and making derogatory comments against match officials, resulted in a 50 percent fine for her match fees and three demerit points. The right-hand batter was encountered guilty of breaching Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. Additionally, she had to part with 25 percent of her fee for a Level 1 offense as she criticized match umpires both during the game and the post-match presentation.
With Kaur sidelined for two crucial knockout games, Smriti Mandhana cricketer has a monumental task ahead of her to lead the team to victory in the prestigious Asian Games 2023 event, scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 7 in Hangzhou.
India's direct qualification for the Continental Games is attributed to its position in the ICC Women's T20I Rankings. However, Kaur's absence will undoubtedly be a significant setback for the team, who are determined to end their trophy drought after not winning any major ICC Trophies in the last two years. India secured the runners-up position in the Commonwealth Games, and reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, but faced disappointment in failing to qualify for the last four stages of the 50-over World Cup in 2022.
Despite the challenge of missing their captain, the Asian Games presents another opportunity for the women's team to showcase their prowess and bring the trophy home. With Smriti Mandhana at the helm, the team aims to overcome past disappointments and clinch their first major ICC Trophy in years, renewing the hopes and aspirations of cricket fans across the nation.
