Smriti Mandhana has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Harmanpreet Kaur as India’s women’s captain after Harmanpreet stepped down from the role across all formats. Mandhana has been Harmanpreet’s deputy across the three formats and is one of the senior members of the Indian team. She has played international cricket for more than a decade. She has also captained India when Harmanpreet was unavailable. With the BCCI yet to formally announce the next captain, Mandhana is the strongest candidate based on her experience and record.
Mandhana’s international captaincy numbers provide a strong part of her case. Between 2019 and 2025, she captained India in 18 T20Is, winning 11, losing six and having one match end without a result. She has also led India in four ODIs and won all four, giving her a 100% win record 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 international leadership experience and taught her to handle responsibility in important high-pressure situations.
Her leadership experience also 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. Winning two WPL trophies has added another important part to her captaincy profile. It has also given her experience of leading a team through a major domestic franchise competition. Alongside her international career, these results show that Mandhana has already handled captaincy responsibilities beyond the role of stand-in leader for India. Her franchise success is therefore another factual point in her favour.
Mandhana’s standing in Indian cricket is also reflected in her recent batting milestones. In September 2026, she moved past Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket. She also moved ahead of Meg Lanning to become the leading century-maker in women’s international cricket, taking her tally to 18 hundreds across formats. Mandhana achieved these milestones during the Women’s Asia Cup in September. She has been part of the Indian setup since making her international debut in 2013. Her long presence in the team has given her experience across different groups and generations of Indian players.
Former Indian players have also backed Mandhana for a bigger leadership role. Mithali Raj has publicly tipped her to succeed Harmanpreet and lead India in all three formats. Diana Edulji has also advocated Mandhana’s elevation and supported her as a choice for long-term leadership stability. Their views add to the case created by Mandhana’s existing position and captaincy record. Mandhana herself has also made her position clear. In July 2026, when asked about the possibility of leading India, she told The Times of India, “Yes, of course. I am ready.” Her response came after she had already gained years of experience as Harmanpreet’s deputy.
With Harmanpreet now stepping down, Mandhana’s experience as vice-captain, her international captaincy record, and her success with RCB make her the clear front-runner from the available candidates. She has led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, winning 15 of those 22 matches overall, while remaining unbeaten in her four ODIs as captain. Her two WPL titles with RCB, her seniority in the national team, and her record-breaking international batting milestones strengthen her credentials further. Mithali Raj and Diana Edulji have also publicly supported her leadership prospects. The BCCI is yet to formally name Harmanpreet’s successor, but the available facts place Smriti Mandhana at the front of the race.
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