Mithali Raj names 3 candidates to lead India Women’s team

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India Women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur has once again found herself under the spotlight following the team’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage. The early exit reignited discussions over the team’s leadership, with many questioning whether a change at the helm is needed ahead of future ICC events. Although India recently bounced back in style by defeating England in the one-off Test at Lord’s, debates surrounding Harmanpreet’s long-term future as captain have continued for quite some time.

The BCCI has not made any official announcement regarding Harmanpreet’s captaincy, but former India captain Mithali Raj has already identified three players she believes are capable of leading the national side in the future. Speaking about India’s leadership options, Mithali backed the veteran opener for the longer formats while suggesting two younger names for the T20I captaincy.

Mithali reckoned that star India opening batter Smriti Mandhana should have already been entrusted with the leadership responsibilities in the ODI format and feels the experienced opener is the ideal candidate to captain India in both One-Day Internationals and Test cricket.

Mandhana, who currently serves as India’s vice-captain, has been one of the team’s most consistent performers across formats and has also gained valuable leadership experience in domestic franchise cricket. According to Mithali, her experience and maturity make her the perfect choice to guide India in the longer formats.

“I at least thought Smriti would lead the ODI format two-three years back. 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,” said Mithali as quoted by Cricinfo.

Notably, Mandhana has established herself as one of India’s premier batters over the past decade and has often been viewed as a natural successor in the leadership group. Her calm approach, tactical awareness and vast international experience have made her one of the strongest candidates whenever discussions around India’s future captain emerge.

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While recommending Mandhana for the longer formats, Mithali proposed a different direction for T20Is by encouraging India to invest in younger leaders. She named explosive opener Shafali Verma and stylish batter Jemimah Rodrigues as her preferred candidates to take charge of the shortest format.

Mithali highlighted Shafali’s previous leadership success, pointing to her captaincy during India’s victorious Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in 2023. She also acknowledged Jemimah’s leadership stint with Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League, suggesting both possess qualities required to build the next generation of Indian leadership.

“I think Shafali [Verma]. Her format is T20Is. And she has led the Under-19 World Cup side [to a title win in 2023]. Why not Shafali? Jemi [Rodrigues] too of course, yes. She has led [Delhi Capitals] in the WPL. But I do believe that whoever they pick, they need to give them some time to settle. Because all of us got time to settle in our role as a leader,” she added.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.