The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Smriti Mandhana as the new captain of the women’s team. The development took place after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from her leadership role across formats. She led India to a gold medal in the recently concluded Asian Games 2026, and according to reports, the Indian cricket board wanted her to continue as skipper in ODIs and Test cricket.

However, the World Cup-winning leader decided to quit her role in all formats of the game. There were speculations about the decision-makers wanting a change after India didn’t qualify for the semi-final of the Women’s T20 World Cup, but the team’s success in the Asian Cup and the Asian Games delayed the outcome.

With Mandhana achieving success as captain in the Women’s Premier League and her experience as vice-captain, the apex body of Indian Cricket decided to hand her the captain’s armband.

India won the 2025 ODI World Cup at home under Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy, and she was hailed for leading the team from the front. Although she will continue to play as a batter, the command of the team is now in the hands of Smriti, who will be expected to win global titles.