Smriti Mandhana named India women's captain across formats
BCCI appoints Smriti Mandhana as full-time captain after Harmanpreet Kaur steps down across formats.
Smriti Mandhana was appointed captain of the Indian women's cricket team across all formats on Tuesday. The BCCI announced the decision hours after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role following a review meeting in Guwahati. Mandhana had served as Harmanpreet's deputy and had already led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs.
Harmanpreet led India in 211 international matches and guided the team to its maiden ODI World Cup title in 2025. She also won two Asia Cup titles and two consecutive Asian Games gold medals. The 37-year-old confirmed she will continue playing for India as a player.
Shafali Verma was named vice-captain for T20Is and Deepti Sharma for ODIs. India face Zimbabwe in three T20Is starting October 16 in Raipur, followed by three ODIs in Vadodara. The Women's Champions Trophy is scheduled at home in February.
CricHubb Take
Mandhana's appointment accelerates the timeline for India's 2028 T20 World Cup rebuild, forcing selectors to lock in a new middle-order core before the home Champions Trophy.