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'She doesn't need to clone Harman' - Anjum Chopra urges Smriti Mandhana to carve her own path as India captain

Former international cricketer Anjum Chopra has advised newly appointed India all-format captain Smriti Mandhana to establish her own leadership identity rather than attempting to replicate her predecessor, Harmanpreet Kaur. Mandhana officially assumed the full-time captaincy following Kaur's departure after a decade in charge, bringing prior leadership experience from four ODIs and 18 T20Is into her new tenure.

Her initial assignment as permanent skipper will feature a three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe beginning on October 16.

Ahead of the upcoming fixtures, key stakeholders including Mandhana, Kaur, head coach Amol Muzumdar, and BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia convened for a strategic transition review in Guwahati on October 7, 2026. Mandhana also engaged in selection discussions alongside the Amita Sharma-led committee to finalize the squad.

Chopra emphasized that Mandhana should draw upon her extensive dozen years of international experience and world travels to address existing team gaps and guide the squad forward on her own terms.

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