New Delhi, July 18: Former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj, expressed her support for Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues as potential replacements for Harmanpreet Kaur in the T20 format.
On Friday, Mithali highlighted the capabilities of both players, suggesting they are ready to lead the team. A fan on the platform X questioned Mithali’s choice of Shafali over current vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. In response, Mithali emphasized that her selection was based on the future of the T20 team.
Mithali stated, “I chose Shafali with the future in mind. She is still young, has one of the best strike rates, and can bowl. She has been part of the T20 setup since 2019. Leadership skills develop on the field.”
Regarding Mandhana, Mithali wrote on X, “I have no doubt about Smriti’s leadership abilities. She is well-suited to captain the team in longer formats.”
Mithali also praised Jemimah Rodrigues, saying, “She is part of the T20 setup. Her World Cup performance may not have been great, but that can happen to any player. She is a team player, selfless, and an excellent spin player. Her fielding saves 20-25 runs in every match, which often goes unnoticed. In my opinion, both are truly ready for captaincy.”
At just 22, Shafali has played 111 T20 matches for India, while 25-year-old Jemimah has played 131. Both were part of the Indian team that won the ODI World Cup in 2025.
Under Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy, the Indian women’s cricket team was recently eliminated from the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 held in England. Harman, who became the T20 captain in 2018, has yet to secure a T20 World Cup victory for Team India. Mithali Raj’s remarks are significant for the leadership of the Indian women’s team in the shorter format.
Currently, Harmanpreet is set to captain India at the in Japan scheduled for September-October and is expected to lead the team in the Women’s Asia Cup in August-September.