BCCI plans Harmanpreet Kaur mentorship for new captain Smriti Mandhana
BCCI president Mithun Manhas wants Harmanpreet Kaur to stay in the squad to mentor new captain Smriti Mandhana.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas said Harmanpreet Kaur will remain in the Indian women's team to guide new captain Smriti Mandhana through difficult decisions, field placements and bowling changes. The model mirrors the MS Dhoni-Virat Kohli transition in the men's side.
Mandhana, who served as Harmanpreet's deputy for much of her career, has led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is. She has also captained Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women's Premier League.
Mandhana's first assignment as skipper will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe, starting with three T20Is in Raipur from Friday. Harmanpreet stepped down after leading India to the 2025 ODI World Cup title and two Asian Games golds.
CricHubb Take
The question is whether Harmanpreet will actually get the chance to shape decisions or simply become a senior voice the BCCI can point to when things go wrong.