Smriti Mandhana Hails Harmanpreet Kaur’s 10-Year Leadership After Taking Over as India Captain

Smriti Mandhana has begun her tenure as the new captain of the Indian women’s cricket team by paying tribute to Harmanpreet Kaur, whose decade-long leadership of the side came to an end this week.

Mandhana, appointed as Harmanpreet’s successor by the BCCI on October 6, shared a warm message for the former captain on Instagram, acknowledging the years they have spent together in the Indian team.

Mandhana’s Message for Harmanpreet

Sharing a picture of Harmanpreet Kaur on her Instagram Story, Mandhana wrote:

“It’s been a pleasure playing with you for so many years. Ten years of your leadership have been fantastic and together, we will strive to bring many more laurels for our nation.”

The message came just a day after Harmanpreet announced that she was stepping down as captain across all three international formats. Her decision ended a significant leadership chapter for Indian women’s cricket, although she has confirmed that she will continue playing for India.

Harmanpreet’s Decade at the Helm

Harmanpreet’s leadership journey began unexpectedly in 2012 when she was handed the captaincy during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup after Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami were ruled out of the final through injury. India won that match against Pakistan, giving Harmanpreet an early taste of international captaincy.

She subsequently became India’s full-time T20I captain in 2016 and took charge of the ODI and Test sides in 2022 following Mithali Raj’s retirement.

During her leadership, India achieved several major milestones. Most notably, Harmanpreet led the team to its maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025 and, more recently, to another Asian Games gold medal in 2026.

She finished her captaincy career having led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is.

Mandhana Takes Charge of a New Era

The BCCI has appointed Mandhana as India’s new captain across formats, with the left-handed opener bringing significant international and franchise leadership experience.

Before receiving the full-time role, Mandhana had already captained India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs. She has also led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two Women’s Premier League titles, in 2024 and 2026.

The transition will begin in competitive terms with India’s upcoming home series against Zimbabwe. The teams are scheduled to play three T20Is followed by three ODIs from October 16.

Harmanpreet Remains Part of India’s Squad

Importantly, the change is about captaincy, not retirement.

Harmanpreet remains available as a player and has been included in India’s squads for the Zimbabwe white-ball series. That gives Mandhana the opportunity to begin her captaincy alongside one of the most experienced members of the current Indian side.

A Message of Continuity Amid a Leadership Change

Mandhana’s tribute is notable because it frames the transition around appreciation rather than simply marking the end of one captaincy and the beginning of another.

There have been reports about differences within the leadership group surrounding the captaincy change, but no official statement from either Mandhana or Harmanpreet has confirmed a personal rift. Mandhana’s public message, meanwhile, explicitly recognised Harmanpreet’s decade of leadership and expressed a desire to continue achieving success together.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The most interesting aspect of this transition is that Harmanpreet is not walking away from the team. India therefore gets a change in leadership without losing the experience of a player who has captained the side through some of the biggest moments in its recent history.

For Mandhana, the challenge will now be to establish her own leadership identity while building on the foundation created during Harmanpreet’s tenure. Her first message to her predecessor suggests that she intends to treat that history as something to build upon, rather than something to erase.

Sources & Verification

This report was prepared using the BCCI’s official announcements on Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy and Smriti Mandhana’s appointment, along with the ICC’s coverage and reports reproducing Mandhana’s Instagram tribute. The reported rift between the players has been treated as unconfirmed reporting, not established fact.