Smriti Mandhana Begins New Era as India’s Full-Time T20I Captain

Smriti Mandhana is preparing to lead the Indian women’s cricket team as its full-time T20I captain for the first time in the opening match against Zimbabwe in Raipur. Although she has captained India in the past, this appointment marks a new phase in her leadership career. India has seen relatively few changes in captaincy over the past decade, with Mithali Raj leading the team in Tests and ODIs until her retirement in 2022 and Harmanpreet Kaur taking charge of the shortest format in 2016 before becoming the full-time captain. Following India’s group-stage exits from the last two T20 World Cups, the team is now looking to strengthen its performance under Mandhana.

Mandhana has acknowledged that India needs to improve across several areas, including batting, bowling, fielding and fitness. She believes the team must raise its performance by another 10% to succeed at the highest level. She also praised the young squad’s commitment during training and said her approach to batting would remain unchanged despite the added responsibility. Mandhana explained that she learned early in her career to approach every innings with a captain’s sense of responsibility. She added that discussions with BCCI officials focused on the future direction of Indian cricket and preparations for major tournaments over the next two to three years. Harmanpreet Kaur’s resignation following the meeting preceded Mandhana’s appointment.