The Indian women’s cricket team is now led by the new captain Smriti Mandhana in all three formats and has replaced Harmanpreet Kaur, who recently announced her decision to step down after a long time as India skipper.
Having made her international debut back in 2013, Mandhana had been instrumental for the Indian team. She captained India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is prior to this contest. Domestically and in the Women' s Premier League, where she leads Royal Challengers Bengaluru, her leadership credentials have only increased.
The upcoming white-ball tour of Zimbabwe will mark the first assignment for the left-handed batter as India’s full-time captain. You will start the series with 3 T20Is in Raipur starting October 16, continued by the rest of limited value defects. Smriti Mandhana was also a part of the recent selection meeting that confirmed India’s squad for the tour.
Mandhana called her appointment ‘a great honour and a special one.’ She also dedicated her praise to Harmanpreet kaur for doubling India as an insurmountable avenue of assistance in aiding the Indian Women’s cricket team, and praised the previous captain’s contributions as well.
The promotion of Mandhana comes after a review meeting on the roadmap of Indian cricket, which took place in Guwahati between officials, players and the coaching staff. It details preparations towards major upcoming competitions like the first-ever Women’s Champions Trophy starting February, followed by the 2028 T20 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
This change in captaincy happens at a crucial stage of Mandhana’s career. In 2026, she led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second WPL title and was the team’s highest scorer in the final.
She has continued making history with the bat as well. Mandhana has eclipsed Mithali Raj to become the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket in September (across formats). With 18 international centuries—most for a woman in international cricket, she is also the first Indian to score hundreds in all three formats.
Mandhana, who has considerable experience under her belt along with impressive batting records as well and leadership stints so far, now embarks on a new journey as the all-format captain of India.
