A major leadership transition has taken place in Indian women's cricket, with premier opening batter Smriti Mandhana taking charge of the national squad. The development unfolded swiftly after long-serving skipper Harmanpreet Kaur decided to step down from captaincy across all three formats. Within hours of her departure, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed Mandhana as the team's new captain. Her full-time leadership stint will begin during the upcoming bilateral tour of Zimbabwe, for which the governing body has unveiled the touring contingent.
Prior Leadership Experience and Split Vice-Captaincy Roles
Leading the national side is familiar territory for Mandhana, who has previously shouldered captaincy responsibilities during stand-in spells across 18 T20Is and 4 ODIs. However, this marks the first time that the board has formally named her the full-time skipper for limited-overs cricket. For the upcoming fixtures against Zimbabwe, the selectors have structured different deputy roles across formats. Dynamic opening batter Shafali Verma has been named vice-captain for the twenty-over matches, while premier all-rounder Deepti Sharma will serve as vice-captain in the one-day internationals.
Mandhana Reacts to Her Appointment
Expressing her feelings upon receiving the role, Smriti Mandhana described the leadership position as a tremendous privilege in her sporting career. Reflecting on the honor, she noted,
"Captaining the Indian team is a matter of immense honour for me."Mandhana added that wearing national colors has always been extraordinarily meaningful to her, emphasizing that she intends to fulfill this leadership responsibility with complete dedication. She also extended her sincere gratitude to the BCCI, the national selectors, her teammates, and everyone who supported her throughout her cricketing pathway.
Tour Schedule and Confirmed Squads for Zimbabwe Series
The upcoming bilateral contest in Zimbabwe will feature three T20 matches followed by three one-day internationals. The selection committee has assembled a blend of established core performers and promising prospects across both squads.
India T20 Squad:
- Smriti Mandhana (Captain) and Shafali Verma (Vice-Captain)
- Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Anushka Sharma
- Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper) and G Kamalini (Wicketkeeper)
- Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Shree Charani, and Nandini Sharma
- Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita, and Minnu Mani
India ODI Squad:
- Smriti Mandhana (Captain) and Deepti Sharma (Vice-Captain)
- Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, and Harleen Deol
- Harmanpreet Kaur and Tejal Hasabnis
- Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper) and Yastika Bhatia (Wicketkeeper)
- Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandini Sharma, and Shree Charani
- Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, and Renuka Thakur
