Smriti Mandhana has been appointed as the captain of India’s women’s cricket team across all formats. This decision coincides with Harmanpreet Kaur stepping down, ending nearly a ten-year tenure in the role.
Mandhana, who has served as vice-captain to Harmanpreet for a significant time, has experience leading in both international and domestic formats—having captained India in 18 T20 Internationals and four One Day Internationals, as well as leading Maharashtra and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.
Her initial task as captain will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe, starting with three T20 matches in Raipur on 16th October. Recently, Mandhana participated in a selection meeting led by Amita Sharma to confirm the squad for this upcoming tour.
The newly anointed captain described her appointment as a “special honour,” and took a moment to praise her predecessor. “I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” Mandhana stated in a release by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey. I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”
This change in leadership follows a review meeting in Guwahati, overseen by Secretary Devajit Saikia. Mandhana, Harmanpreet, and head coach Amol Muzumdar discussed strategies with a focus on the forthcoming Women’s Champions Trophy in February and the T20 World Cup, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Known as India’s premier all-format batter, Mandhana has long been poised for this opportunity. Earlier this year, she led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second Women’s Premier League victory, finishing as the top scorer in the final match. In September, she surpassed Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in international women’s cricket across formats, and she holds the record for the most international centuries by an Indian woman, with 18 to her name, making her the first Indian woman to achieve centuries in all formats.
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