Harmanpreet or Smriti: Who should lead India to LA28?

At the end of the T20 World Cup in England, much was said about why India should look at Smriti Mandhana as captain going into LA28. cricket-ipl.co.za

Harmanpreet Kaur has done the job for a decade, and India’s performances in the last two editions of the tournament have been below par. While India won the 50-over World Cup under Harmanpreet in 2025, the T20 performances have not been up to the mark.

An infusion of fresh ideas seemed the logical way forward, particularly with the Olympics just two years away. Does Harmanpreet inspire confidence in the T20 format as captain to guide India to an Olympic medal? That is the question that needs to be asked.

Thereafter, India won the Lord’s Test under Harmanpreet and, as is always the case, the issue was swept under the carpet. A Test-match win became the mask for the T20 World Cup failure, and once again formats were mixed up by fans back home.

Now, with India doing well in the Asia Cup – a below-par competition featuring weaker teams – there is every reason to assume that we will enter what I call an ‘illusion of complacency’. Not winning the Asia Cup would be news. Anything else is routine. No team in the competition comes close to India, and it cannot be used as a yardstick.

In 10 days, India will play at the Asian Games. Yet again, the same teams currently in Dubai will be in Japan. Yet again, it will be easy. And yet again, the real issues could be glossed over with a gold medal.

This is where the problem lies. We cannot mask things with these easy wins. India will be tested again during the Champions Trophy, and the questions will return. Only valuable time would have been lost.

Harmanpreet the batter remains key for India. Her effort in the last match of the T20 World Cup at Lord’s was proof of that. She played brilliantly against Australia, and there is no replacement for her just yet.

But as captain, there was little to feel good about. The question is whether the selectors will look at competitions such as the Asia Cup and Asian Games when making a long-term call. Isn’t Olympic gold the goal?

Can this team, under Harmanpreet, inspire confidence that it can accomplish that mission?

As captain, Smriti has done well. She has been a standout for RCB, and the titles tell their own story. For India, I have seen her step up time and again to do the job. In a 50-over contest, for example, she has often led when Harmanpreet has gone off the field.

The truth is that Smriti is ready and deserves a chance. If she has to build a team for LA, she will need time to settle into the role and make the most of it.

In this catch-22, all that matters is what is best for India. The Asia Cup and Asian Games will not truly test India, and the selectors need to remember that before making the call.

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There has been a lot of talk about India’s hockey jersey over the last month and a half. The matter had become acutely political ahead of the World Cup, with many blaming the government for choosing orange over blue. Going into the Asian Games, the jersey is back in focus once more, and it is important to close this debate once and for all.

As you can see from the photos, Indian players have been given two sets of jerseys to take to Nagoya. The second set is orange or reddish-orange, which was used at the World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. The primary set, however, which was approved by Hockey India officials and the head coach of the team on 12 August 2026, is white, with sky-blue socks, shorts and sleeves.

The white and sky-blue combination is the primary jersey that India will wear in Aichi-Nagoya at the Asian Games. While it is not entirely blue, it does feature sky blue on the socks, sleeves and shorts.

It is important to state here that jerseys will not win us the Asian Games. Performance will. The teams need to win gold in Japan to ensure they qualify for the 2028 LA Olympics.

For the first time, the women also have a very realistic chance of beating China and winning gold. The men, on the other hand, need to redeem themselves after a poor World Cup campaign and make it back to the top of the podium in Japan. In doing so, they need to stay focused, and the jersey controversy going forward is unnecessary.

That is why it was important to show the two sets of jerseys that India will wear and put the issue to rest once and for all.

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Bangladesh booked their place in the Women’s Asia Cup semi-finals with a 34-run win over UAE on Tuesday.

Asked to bat first, Bangladesh lost wickets regularly but managed to post 103/7 in their 20 overs. Sharmin Akhter top-scored with a valuable 38 off 31 balls, hitting three fours. Captain Nigar Sultana made 23 off 28, while Juairiya Ferdous contributed 16 off 20.

Nahida Akter remained unbeaten on 16 off 26 as Bangladesh finished with a competitive total.

UAE’s chase never really gathered momentum as Bangladesh continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals.

Heena Hotchandani top-scored for UAE with 18 off 19 balls while Theertha Satish made 11 and Samaira Dharnidharka scored eight. Rinitha Rajith made five, and Janani Thirukkumaran added six.

Rabeya Khan was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, finishing with 3/14 from her four overs. Marufa Akter took 2/9, Nahida claimed 2/18, while Sultana Khatun and Fahima Khatun picked up one wicket each. UAE finished on 69/9.

The victory takes Bangladesh into the last four. After overcoming UAE, Bangladesh now have a much bigger challenge ahead. They will fight India on September 10 for a place in the Women’s Asia Cup final.

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Women’s Asia Cup 2026 BAN-W vs UAE-W Highlights: Nigar Sultana-led Bangladesh secured a 34-run victory against Esha Oza-led United Arab Emirates in the 12th match played at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai.

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 BAN-W vs UAE-W Playing 11

Bangladesh Women

United Arab Emirates Women

Esha Oza(c), Theertha Satish(w), Lavanya Keny, Heena Hotchandani, Samaira Dharnidharka, Rinitha Rajith, Mehul Pranav Kulkarni, Indhuja Nandakumar, Archara Supriya, Janani Thirukkumaran, Suraksha Kotte

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 BAN-W vs UAE-W Scoreboard

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 BAN-W vs UAE-W Scorecard

Bangladesh Women Batting

United Arab Emirates Bowling

United Arab Emirates Women Batting

Bangladesh Women Bowling

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 BAN-W vs UAE-W Highlights

To watch Women’s Asia Cup 2026 BAN-W vs UAE-W Highlights, click >> HERE

Player of the Match

Nahida Akhter | Bangladesh

Thanks to Almighty, we won the match and definitely Player of the Match is good for me. At that time, I knew my role, and my coach told me my role, and I knew Shorna Akter was there. So it was easy for me to bat. No, we were 20 runs short. Still, we believed our batsmen could do better, and we knew our bowling strength.