Mithali Raj Wants Smriti Mandhana to Lead India as Questions Grow Over Harmanpreet

Former India captain Mithali Raj believes Smriti Mandhana should have taken over the ODI captaincy "two-three years back", arguing that the team has delayed its leadership transition as questions continue to surround Harmanpreet Kaur's long-term future.

Raj's comments come after India's second successive group-stage exit at the Women's T20 World Cup and days after Mandhana expressed her willingness to captain the national side if offered the role.

Mithali Raj backs Smriti Mandhana for ODI and Test captaincy

Raj feels Mandhana's experience makes her the natural choice to lead India in the longer white-ball format and Tests, even if the T20 captaincy is handed to a younger player.

"I at least thought Smriti would lead the ODI format two-three years back," Raj told PTI.

"But now also, with the vast experience that she has, at least the one-day and Test format should be given to her and perhaps the T20 to someone younger."

Raj suggested Shafali Verma could be considered for the T20I captaincy, pointing to her success at the junior level.

"I think Shafali. Her format is T20Is. And she has led the Under-19 World Cup side. Why not Shafali? Jemi too, of course. She has led in the WPL. But I do believe that whoever they pick, they need to give them some time to settle."

The comments underline a broader argument that India should begin planning for its next leadership cycle rather than waiting for another major tournament.

Raj says Harmanpreet's fitness cannot be ignored

While Raj insisted India's early exit from the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup should not be the sole reason for changing captains, she believes Harmanpreet Kaur's fitness has become an increasingly important factor.

"Yes, we did not qualify for the semi-finals for the second time in a row, but that cannot be the only reason or criteria to conclude that you need to change the leader," Raj said.

She explained that availability is one of the key traits required from an international captain.

"One is, of course, the fitness. Harman in the last two-three years, you see the physio quite often on the ground, every game when she's playing. There were a few games that she was unavailable."

"You obviously would want your captain to be fit and available for all games. Unfortunately, all of us age, so she's not the fittest."

Raj also questioned Harmanpreet's returns in recent ICC events, noting that the India captain has often taken several matches to produce a significant innings.

India's succession planning comes under scrutiny

Beyond the debate over who should replace Harmanpreet, Raj believes the BCCI has failed to develop enough leadership options across the women's setup.

She pointed to India's recent Under-19 World Cup-winning captains as examples of players who could have been groomed for bigger leadership roles.

"So far, the leadership group, for the longest time, has been these two," Raj said, referring to Harmanpreet and Mandhana.

"But we've never had a third person who we can think that, okay, this person can lead in their absence."

Raj questioned why Shafali Verma was not given greater leadership responsibilities after guiding India to the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup title in 2023.

She also highlighted Niki Prasad, who captained India to the 2025 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, suggesting she should have been appointed India A captain to continue her development.

Why the debate matters

Raj's remarks arrive at a significant moment for Indian women's cricket.

With the next ODI and T20 World Cup cycles already underway, selectors face a decision between continuing with Harmanpreet or accelerating a transition to the next generation of leaders.

Mandhana has emerged as the frontrunner given her experience as vice-captain and one of India's most consistent performers, while younger players such as Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues are increasingly being viewed as long-term leadership candidates.

For Raj, however, the bigger concern extends beyond one appointment.

"We don't have a road map. We don't think about two years down the line, where do you see the Indian team? We are only thinking series to series. We don't have a long-term plan."

Those comments have further fuelled the discussion around India's leadership succession, with the focus now shifting to whether the selectors begin planning for the next World Cup cycle or continue with the current setup.