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'It's been a pleasure' - Smriti Mandhana posts heartfelt tribute to Harmanpreet Kaur after becoming India captain

Smriti Mandhana has taken over as the full-format leader of the Indian national women's cricket team, following the conclusion of Harmanpreet Kaur's decade-long tenure in the position. The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed the change on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, marking a notable shift in squad leadership as the program looks toward its future development.

Mandhana previously gained captaincy experience by leading the team in 18 T20 Internationals and four One-Day Internationals, alongside guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a pair of Women's Premier League championships. Following the announcement, Mandhana published a social media statement acknowledging a decade of guidance from her predecessor and expressing optimism about achieving future team milestones together.

Harmanpreet's extensive leadership era included historic triumphs, such as securing the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup and claiming gold at the 2022 Asian Games, alongside multiple Asia Cup titles captured in 2012, 2016, and 2022. Having initially stepped into the captaincy on an interim basis in 2012 before becoming the regular T20 skipper in 2016 and taking over ODI and Test duties after Mithali Raj retired, Harmanpreet clarified that she intends to remain available for national selection and support the incoming leadership framework.

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