Smriti Mandhana named Indian women's cricket captain

Opener and star batter Smriti Mandhana was named as the full-time captain of the Indian women's cricket team on Tuesday.This development came just hours after the 2025 ICC Women's ODI World Cup winning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur announced her decision to step down from her post.Mandhana, who has previously led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, has been representing India at the highest level for more than a decade since her debut in 2013."Being given the responsibility of leading India is a very special honour. Representing India has always meant a great deal to me, and to now have the opportunity to lead the team is something I will value deeply," said Mandhana in a statement.Mandhana, who has also led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two Women's Premier League titles, also acknowledged the role played ."I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years. She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey," she said.Even as the Indian women's cricket team turns a new leaf, Kaur will continue to be an integral part of Mandhana's set up despite her middling returns with the bat especially in the shortest format of the sport in recent times.Mandhana's first assignment as the full-time captain will be the upcoming Zimbabwe tour of India, consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is.While the T20I series will be held in Raipur, the ODI series will be held in Vadodara.Indian squad for Zimbabwe seriesT20Is: Smriti Mandhana [C], Shafali Verma [VC], Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh [WK], G Kamalini [WK], Dee Sharma, Prema Rawat, Sree Char, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintim Kalita, Minnu M ODIs: Smriti Mandhana [C], Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Dee Sharma [VC], Richa Ghosh [WK], Yastika Bhatia [WK], Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Char, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Renuka ThakurZimbabwe tour of India ScheduleNo.DayDateTime (IST)MatchVenue1Fri16-Oct-267:00 PM1st T20IRaipur2Sun18-Oct-267:00 PM2nd T20IRaipur3Tue20-Oct-267:00 PM3rd T20IRaipur4Fri23-Oct-262:00 PM1st ODIVadodara5Sun25-Oct-262:00 PM2nd ODIVadodara6Wed28-Oct-262:00 PM3rd ODIVadodara