Has ignoring Rani and her experience left Indian women's hockey wrong-footed?

Jaspreet Sahni


File image of Khel Ratna and former Indian women's hockey captain Rani (Photo: @imranirampal Twitter)

NEW DELHI: It's always interesting to study how players are perceived differently when one coach makes way for another. But it's also true that coaches deserve the benefit of doubt when it comes to managing players who are in the twilight of their careers, particularly when it comes to the greats and the legends. That is always a difficult task. The history of world sports is littered with such examples. India's hockey icon and former captain Rani is the latest who finds herself in that situation -- performing exceptionally and still out of the national team, but not giving up on another comeback.