Overview
- Smriti Mandhana publicly told The Times of India she is ready to lead India when asked, a statement amplified on Wednesday after her twin half-centuries helped India win the Lord’s Test.
- Former captain Mithali Raj has publicly backed Mandhana for Test and ODI captaincy while recommending a younger leader such as Shafali Verma or Jemimah Rodrigues for T20s.
- Reports say the Board’s selectors are likely to delay any formal captaincy change until they review the team’s status after the Asian Games in Japan in September and October.
- Harmanpreet Kaur remains the incumbent captain and is praised for the 2025 ODI World Cup win, but her recent T20 form and recurring fitness concerns have fuelled calls for clear succession planning.
- The debate highlights two urgent needs for India’s women’s side: a clear roadmap to the 2028 T20 World Cup that fixes recurring tactical errors and a sustained plan to groom leaders across formats.