Smriti Mandhana Named India's New All-Format Captain in Women's Cricket After Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down
Smriti Mandhana has been named India's new captain across all three formats in women's cricket. The BCCI confirmed her appointment on October 6, 2026, hours after Harmanpreet Kaur announced that she was stepping down from the captaincy.
The decision marks a big change in leadership for the India women's team, though Mandhana is no stranger to the set-up. She served as vice-captain under Harmanpreet when India won their first-ever ICC Women's ODI World Cup title in 2025, and she was Kaur's deputy again when India claimed gold at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. Several former players, including Diana Edulji, had been vocal in recent weeks about the selectors handing her the job in all formats.
Her form has only made the case stronger. On September 3, Mandhana hit 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong at the Women's Asia Cup T20 in Dubai, a knock that made her the leading run-getter in women's international cricket, ahead of Mithali Raj. During India's gold-medal win over Sri Lanka at the Asian Games, she then made 79 off 45 balls and became the first woman to reach 11,000 international runs.
Mandhana also holds the record for the most international centuries by a woman, 18, made up of 14 in ODIs, two in Tests and two in T20Is. She has 93 scores of fifty or more across formats, a tally she shares with Mithali Raj, and she was named Wisden's Leading Women's Cricketer in the World for 2024.
She takes over from a captain who reportedly led India in 211 matches across formats. Harmanpreet has made it clear that she will continue to play for India as a batter. The handover comes after a difficult year in the shorter formats, with the BCCI holding a review of the women's side in Guwahati last month. Reports had earlier suggested that Harmanpreet, Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar would meet BCCI officials to plan the transition.
For Mandhana, the new role adds the weight of leadership to a batting career already full of records. Who will serve as her deputy is likely to be one of the first questions the selectors have to answer.