Smriti Mandhana has been appointed as India’s women’s cricket captain for all formats, succeeding Harmanpreet Kaur, who has relinquished the role after nearly ten years at the helm. Mandhana, who has previously served as vice-captain, has led India in 18 T20 Internationals and four One Day Internationals. She also has experience captaining both the Maharashtra team in domestic competitions and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.
Her first challenge as captain will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe, commencing with three T20 Internationals in Raipur from 16 October. Mandhana took part in the squad selection meeting on Tuesday, which was headed by Amita Sharma.
Expressing her sentiments on her elevation to captaincy, Mandhana noted, “I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years. She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.” She added, “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.”
The decision to appoint Mandhana followed a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. This meeting, directed by Devajit Saikia and attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet, and head coach Amol Muzumdar, aimed at formulating a strategy leading up to next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February and the T20 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Recognised as India’s premier all-format batter, Mandhana has been in consideration for the role for some time. Earlier this year, she guided RCB to its second WPL title, achieving personal success as the match’s top scorer in the final. Moreover, she recently became the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket across formats, surpassing Mithali Raj. Her impressive record of 18 international centuries is the highest in women’s cricket, and she stands as the first Indian woman to achieve hundreds in every format of the game.
