Smriti Mandhana named India women's all-format captain
By Shamyak
Published
Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down but stays in both squads. Mandhana takes over with a women's record 18 international centuries, and her first series starts on 16 October.
Original report
Records and fixtures as reported by the ICC and India TV English on 6 October 2026.
Smriti Mandhana is India's new women's captain in all three formats, appointed on 6 October 2026 after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role, India TV English and the ICC reported. She takes charge with 18 international centuries, the most by any woman, according to the ICC.
It is not a leap into the unknown. Mandhana had already led India in 18 T20Is and 4 ODIs as a stand-in captain before this appointment, the ICC said. Her first series in charge starts at home against Zimbabwe on 16 October.
22 games as captain before she got the job
Mandhana had captained India 22 times before 6 October: 18 T20Is and 4 ODIs, filling in as stand-in, according to the ICC. That is our own sum of the two ICC figures.
She has been Harmanpreet's deputy for several years, the ICC and NewsX reported. So she takes over a team she has helped lead as vice-captain.
The record she brings with the bat is just as striking.
The most centuries in women's international cricket
Mandhana has scored 18 international centuries across formats, a record in the women's game, the ICC said. She recently became the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket, passing Mithali Raj, according to the ICC and NewsX.
She made her India debut in 2013, the ICC reported. That puts more than a decade of international cricket behind the appointment.
The bigger question for fans was what happens to the captain she replaces.
Harmanpreet Kaur stays in both squads
Harmanpreet has stepped down as all-format captain but remains in the team. She was retained as a player in both the T20I and ODI squads for the Zimbabwe series, India TV English reported.
Her reason for stepping down was not given in any of the reports we read. Her own record as captain, in numbers, was also not in those reports, so we have not quoted one.
The leadership group around Mandhana changed too.
Two vice-captains, one for each format
The deputy role is now split by format, India TV English reported:
- T20Is: Shafali Verma is vice-captain.
- ODIs: Deepti Sharma is vice-captain.
That gives Mandhana a different number two in each squad for the Zimbabwe series.
What Mandhana said
Mandhana called the appointment "a very special honour", the ICC reported. She also said: "I understand the responsibility that comes with this role."
The numbers at a glance
- 3: formats Mandhana now captains, per India TV English and the ICC.
- 18: international centuries, a women's record, per the ICC.
- 18 and 4: T20Is and ODIs she led as stand-in captain before 6 October, per the ICC.
- 2013: her India debut, per the ICC.
- 6: matches against Zimbabwe from 16 October, 3 T20Is then 3 ODIs, per the ICC.
Timeline
- 2013: Mandhana makes her India debut, the ICC reported.
- Recently: she passes Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket, per the ICC.
- 6 October 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as all-format captain, and Mandhana is named captain in all three formats.
- 16 October 2026: the home series against Zimbabwe begins, Mandhana's first as full-time captain.
How the coverage told it
The outlets we compared agreed on the facts and differed on the emphasis:
- The ICC's headline said India had named a new captain after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down.
- India TV English led on the BCCI's announcement and on Harmanpreet stepping down.
- Times Now framed it as Mandhana replacing Harmanpreet as all-format captain.
- NewsX framed it as the BCCI seemingly confirming the change ahead of the Zimbabwe series.
See how every outlet covered it
What happens next
The first test of the new set-up is the home series against Zimbabwe from 16 October 2026: three T20Is, then three ODIs, the ICC reported.
What we don't know yet
- Why Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down. No report we read gave a reason.
- The venues and exact dates of each Zimbabwe match after the 16 October start.
- Harmanpreet's full record as captain. We did not find it in the sources we read, so we have left it out.
Questions people are asking
Who is the India women's cricket captain now?
Smriti Mandhana, in all three formats, from 6 October 2026, India TV English reported.
Is Harmanpreet Kaur still in the team?
Yes. She was retained as a player in both squads for the Zimbabwe series, India TV English reported.
Who are India's vice-captains?
Shafali Verma for T20Is and Deepti Sharma for ODIs.
When is Smriti Mandhana's first series as captain?
The home series against Zimbabwe, starting on 16 October 2026, with 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, the ICC said.
Has Mandhana captained India before?
Yes, as stand-in: 18 T20Is and 4 ODIs before this appointment, according to the ICC.
How we did this
We compared reports from 6 October 2026 by the ICC, India TV English, NewsX and Times Now, and built the timeline and the 22-match total from the ICC's figures. We read NewsX from a search summary and Times Now by headline only. We did not see the BCCI's own announcement.
This story was produced with AI assistance and reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication.
Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum: 0% left, 25% center, 75% right.
Who is covering this story
- Right-leaning (3): India TV English, NewsX, Times Now
- Not yet rated (1): ICC
Sources
- Smriti Mandhana named India's all-format captain after 22 games as stand-in leader — ICC (not yet rated) ·
- Smriti Mandhana named India's all-format captain after 22 games as stand-in leader — India TV English (right-leaning) ·
- Smriti Mandhana named India's all-format captain after 22 games as stand-in leader — NewsX (right-leaning) ·
- Smriti Mandhana named India's all-format captain after 22 games as stand-in leader — Times Now (right-leaning) ·