Former India women’s cricket player Diana Edulji stated that Smriti Mandhana should be appointed captain of India as soon as possible, with the upcoming World Cup in mind. She noted that by the time the next World Cup comes around, current captain Harmanpreet Kaur will be close to 40, so Mandhana should get a strong opportunity before then to ensure a seamless transition.
Edulji shared her perspective on the future of leadership in India’s women’s cricket, emphasizing the importance of succession planning. In her assessment, she believes it’s time to hand over the captaincy and ready younger players for increased responsibility ahead of the next ODI World Cup.
Talking to Midday, Edulji said, “We are holding back Smriti Mandhana for a long time. By the time the next World Cup comes along, Harman will be nearing 40, so let’s give a good run to Smriti and look at two youngsters as vice-captains. My humble request to Harman would be to let people ask why and not why not.”
In the recently concluded Asia Cup, which India won by defeating Sri Lanka in the final, Mandhana and Kaur had very different performances with the bat. Mandhana scored 213 runs across five matches, including a record-breaking 124, while Harman managed only 71 runs in the same number of matches.
Edulji’s proposal involves selecting prospective vice-captains from the pool of emerging talent to prepare them for future leadership positions in India’s women’s cricket team. She suggested two particular names as potential candidates for this role.
Mandhana’s recent performances have bolstered the argument for her promotion to captaincy. In the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, she scored 124 runs against Hong Kong in Dubai, showcasing her batting prowess in the T20 format. Mandhana has reached major milestones in her international career. She surpassed Mithali Raj’s record of 10,868 runs to become the top run-scorer in women’s international cricket, a milestone that solidifies her standing as one of the game’s greatest batters.
