BackIndia’s newly appointed skipper Smriti Mandhana highlighted the importance of Harmanpreet Kaur’s guidance as the women’s team prepares to embark on a fresh chapter under new leadership. The three match T20I series against Zimbabwe, beginning on Friday will mark Mandhana’s first assignment as captain.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to relinquish the leadership role signals the start of the Smriti Mandhana era, with India scheduled to face Zimbabwe in both T20Is and ODIs on home soil.
Speaking to JioStar ahead of the opening T20I in Raipur, Smriti Mandhana discussed the responsibilities of captaining the national side, Harmanpreet Kaur’s influence within the dressing room and the team’s preparations for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 which India will host.
Smriti Mandhana stressed that Harmanpreet Kaur’s wealth of experience and meticulous approach to preparing for matches could serve as a valuable learning opportunity for emerging players, helping them improve their understanding of the game and grow as cricketers.
“She’s led India, she’s the longest-serving captain, and has been such a great leader. So I’m sure that her experience, especially with a lot of youngsters coming into the team now, and the way she works towards the game, is going to be inspiring for a lot of people. And I hope they actually watch her, the way she goes about preparing for the game, and learn and take a lot of things from her. So, it’s going to be extremely important to have her around the youngsters for them to also groom in a way where sometimes it happens a year or two earlier when you watch someone and start learning from them,” she said.
Smriti Mandhana enjoyed an impressive outing at the 2026 Asian Games where India retained their women’s cricket gold medal under Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership. The tournament proved to be Harmanpreet Kaur’s final stint as captain as she relinquished the role within days of the team’s title winning campaign. India secured a commanding 147-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final with Mandhana leading the batting effort through a 79-run knock off 45 deliveries. She finished the competition with 116 runs across two innings.
Smriti Mandhana’s recent performances have further strengthened her place among the game’s all time greats. She currently holds the record for the most runs in women’s T20 internationals and leads the charts for both overall international runs and centuries in women’s cricket.
Across 179 T20I appearances, Smriti Mandhana has accumulated 4,867 runs at an average of 31.00 and a strike rate exceeding 127, registering two hundreds and 37 half-centuries. Her numbers in 2026 have been equally impressive with 765 runs from 22 matches and 21 innings at an average of 38.25 and a strike rate of 148.25. Her tally this year includes one century, five fifties and a highest score of 124.
Smriti Mandhana has amassed 11,066 runs in 308 international matches including 18 hundreds, matching South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt for the highest number of centuries in women’s cricket. Reflecting on her new role, the Indian skipper called it a privilege that comes with significant accountability. She emphasised her commitment to improving the team’s training standards, big-hitting ability, fielding and overall professionalism while fostering an environment that sets a positive example for the next generation of cricketers.
“Personally, it’s a huge honour to represent a country where cricket is almost a religion. In a way, you always start playing cricket to play and win matches for India. Never thought of leading the team, but again, it’s a big responsibility because when you step into this role, you have a job to do, you have to deliver. I always say this, that though the captain’s name is first on the list, you’re always the last on the list in terms of keeping everyone ahead. I’ve been in the leadership group for a while now, but I definitely had written down a roadmap every time,” she said while speaking on JioStar.
“The first thing which comes to my mind is the professionalism around it and trying to have this team go about things like a well-oiled machine. Like, taking our training, power-hitting, fielding and professionalism one notch higher. And, of course, setting a culture. You always take up this role to leave it in a way where you set a culture for the team, for the rest of the girls to follow. So, you don’t just do this for the sake of it,” she added.
Smriti Mandhana highlighted the importance of India’s upcoming six T20I fixtures against Zimbabwe and South Africa in shaping the team’s approach, clarifying individual responsibilities and fine-tuning their plans for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 set to be held in India next February. She also noted that the Women’s Premier League which takes place before the global event will offer another opportunity for players to prepare and strengthen their game ahead of the tournament.
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