Smriti Mandhana has emerged because the leading candidate to succeed <a href="https://cricket.worldwide/harmanpreet-kaur-steps-down-as-captain-after-bcci-review-emotional-post-reveals-her-decision/" title="Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down as Captain After BCCI Overview; Emotional Post Reveals Her Resolution”>Harmanpreet Kaur as India’s girls’s captain after Harmanpreet stepped down from the role throughout all codecs. Mandhana has been Harmanpreet’s deputy throughout the three codecs and is one of the senior members of the Indian team. She has played worldwide cricket for more than a decade. She has additionally captained India when Harmanpreet was unavailable. With the BCCI but to formally announce the next captain, Mandhana is the strongest candidate based mostly on her expertise and report.
Mandhana’s worldwide captaincy numbers present a strong a part of her case. Between 2019 and 2025, she captained India in 18 T20Is, profitable 11, shedding six and having one match end with no consequence. She has additionally led India in 4 ODIs and won all 4, giving her a 100% win report in the format. Her ODI captaincy began against New Zealand in October 2024. Overall, she has won 15 of the 22 T20Is and ODIs in which she has captained India. These matches have given Mandhana direct worldwide leadership expertise and taught her to deal with accountability in necessary high-pressure conditions.
Her leadership expertise additionally extends to franchise cricket. Mandhana has led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League, where the team won the title in 2024 and again in 2026. Successful two WPL trophies has added another necessary half to her captaincy profile. It has additionally given her expertise of leading a team by a significant home franchise competition. Alongside her worldwide profession, these outcomes show that Mandhana has already handled captaincy obligations beyond the role of stand-in leader for India. Her franchise success is subsequently another factual point in her favour.
Mandhana’s standing in Indian cricket can be mirrored in her latest batting milestones. In September 2026, she moved previous Mithali Raj to grow to be the leading run-scorer in girls’s worldwide cricket. She additionally moved ahead of Meg Lanning to grow to be the leading century-maker in girls’s worldwide cricket, taking her tally to 18 hundreds throughout codecs. Mandhana achieved these milestones through the Women’s Asia Cup in September. She has been a part of the Indian setup since making her worldwide debut in 2013. Her long presence in the team has given her expertise throughout totally different teams and generations of Indian players.
Former Indian players have additionally backed Mandhana for a much bigger leadership role. Mithali Raj has publicly tipped her to succeed Harmanpreet and lead India in all three codecs. Diana Edulji has additionally advocated Mandhana’s elevation and supported her as a selection for long-term leadership stability. Their views add to the case created by Mandhana’s existing place and captaincy report. Mandhana herself has additionally made her place clear. In July 2026, when asked about the potential for leading India, she told The Instances of India, “Sure, of course. I am ready.” Her response came after she had already gained years of expertise as Harmanpreet’s deputy.
With Harmanpreet now stepping down, Mandhana’s expertise as vice-captain, her worldwide captaincy report, and her success with RCB make her the clear front-runner from the accessible candidates. She has led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, profitable 15 of these 22 matches general, while remaining unbeaten in her 4 ODIs as captain. Her two WPL titles with RCB, her seniority in the national team, and her record-breaking worldwide batting milestones strengthen her credentials further. Mithali Raj and Diana Edulji have additionally publicly supported her leadership prospects. The BCCI is but to formally title Harmanpreet’s successor, but the accessible information place Smriti Mandhana on the entrance of the race.
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Source: femalecricket.com
