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“Very special honour”: Smriti Mandhana delighted after being named as India captain

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Smriti Mandhana as the new captain of the India Women’s National Cricket Team, effective immediately ahead of the upcoming series. Mandhana replaces Harmanpreet Kaur, who stepped down from all formats of leadership—despite initial BCCI requests to retain her role in ODIs and Tests—while remaining an active player and mentor.

Mandhana, who has served as Kaur’s deputy for years, expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity, calling it a ‘very special honour’ and acknowledging the trust placed in her by the BCCI and teammates. She has already led India in 22 white-ball matches, winning 15 as captain, primarily in T20Is, and pledged to uphold the team’s legacy while learning from Kaur’s experience.

The newly announced squads for the Zimbabwe series feature a blend of seasoned players and rising talents, with Mandhana named captain in both T20I and ODI formats alongside vice-captains Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma.

Up nextCricket· 48m ago

Smriti Mandhana takes over from Harmanpreet Kaur as India's captain, tenure to begin with Zimbabwe series