Former India Women’s Cricket team captain Mithali Raj believes Smriti Mandhana should take over as captain in the longer formats once Harmanpreet Kaur steps down, while young opener Shafali Varma should be given the T20 captaincy.
Harmanpreet (37) led India to their historic ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title last year. However, under her leadership, the team has not been able to perform well in ICC T20 tournaments, with another early exit in the recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The selectors are expected to make a decision on Harmanpreet’s future after the Asian Games 2026 Which is scheduled for September-October in Japan.
Speaking to PTI, Mithali said it is the right time for India to develop more leaders in the women’s team. She also called for better clarity in players’ roles and improvements in fitness, saying these areas have affected India’s pace bowling and fielding which were below expectations during the recent T20 World Cup.
“I think Smriti should captain India in the ODI format. She should also be considered for the Test side,” she said.
She also said, “For T20Is, however, I would prefer someone younger. Shafali’s strongest format is definitely T20 cricket. She has already captained India to the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup title, so why not consider her?”