Smriti Mandhana Named New Captain of India Womens Cricket Team After Harmanpreet

Smriti Mandhana has been appointed the new captain of the India women’s cricket team. The Board made the announcement after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the captaincy.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the development to the media after a meeting held in Guwahati yesterday (October 6).

The 29-year-old left-handed opening batter made her international debut in 2013. She had been serving as Harmanpreet Kaur’s vice-captain for some time. Mandhana has also previously led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs on different occasions.

After taking over as captain, Smriti Mandhana said, “It is a great honour and a special feeling to be given the responsibility of leading India. Representing the country has always been a very big thing for me, and now I deeply appreciate this opportunity to lead the team.”

Recalling the contribution of her predecessor, Harmanpreet Kaur, Mandhana added, “I would like to thank Harmanpreet for the way she has led the team as captain for so long. She has managed the team with tremendous commitment and played a major role in our journey. I understand the importance of this new responsibility, and I will give my best to take Indian cricket forward together with everyone.”

Smriti Mandhana recently became the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket. She also holds the record for the most centuries in women’s international cricket, with 18 centuries across all three formats.