Smriti Mandhana named India captain, replaces Harmanpreet Kaur

Smriti Mandhana has taken over the captaincy of the Indian women's cricket team from Harmanpreet Kaur, the change announced on October 7, 2026.

Mandhana, 30, is identified in the report as the most prolific batter in women's cricket and is described as the most experienced player in the squad after Harmanpreet Kaur. She has previously stepped into leadership when Harmanpreet was unavailable on a few occasions and has captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles, including a 2024 triumph that ended a long wait for silverware for the Bengaluru franchise whose men's side used to falter after promising much, season after season.

The appointment places on her the task of improving India's short-format record: India have never won the T20 World Cup and failed to reach the knockout stage in the last editions, the article says, making strengthening the T20 side a stated priority.

By contrast, the piece notes India remain strong in One-Day Internationals, pointing to a World Cup victory last year as evidence, and adds that the team performed well in the longer format, citing their recent, forceful display against England in the historic Test at Lord's.

The report highlights specific weaknesses in the T20 unit: India have struggled against teams such as Australia and South Africa, the middle order lacks consistent firepower instead of relying heavily on Richa Ghosh, and there is a need to identify and develop quality all-rounders.

The article acknowledges that captaincy brings added pressure but argues that Mandhana's gift, ambition and fearlessness make it unlikely that the role will harm her batting, and even suggests it could be beneficial to her performance.

Mandhana and the team management are given a clear timeline for addressing the T20 shortcomings: the issues must be tackled in time for the next T20 World Cup in 2028.