In 2022, a monumental chapter closed for the Indian Women’s team when Mithali Raj called time on her international career. While it looked like a handover to a new captain who could lead the side, in reality, the transition was far from perfect. After Mithali Raj retired in June of ’22, Harmanpreet Kaur was handed over the reins for all formats. However, not even a month later, Harmanpreet had to captain India in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The argument then was whether Mithali should have stepped down from the captaincy even before the 2022 ODI World Cup. She was 39 years old when she led India in that tournament, and unfortunately, India did not perform well in that World Cup. Today, India finds itself in the same position. With Harmanpreet Kaur, who’s 37 now, critics ask the same question: is this the right time to hand over the captaincy to Smriti Mandhana?
Smriti Mandhana is 30 as of today; she was made the vice-captain in 2018 at the age of 22. It’s been nine years of her being a leader in the waiting. If she were to be handed the captaincy today, Mandhana would have 3.5 years of experience as an ODI captain for the 2029 Women’s ODI WC, and roughly two years of experience as the T20I captain till the Women’s T20 WC.
People asking for Smriti to become the captain now aren’t diminishing Harmanpreet’s contribution to the Indian team. Kaur has achieved plenty for the team. Let’s take a look at her stats as a captain:
- Harmanpreet has won 4 out of the 5 test matches she has captained so far, including the historic Lord’s test win just a few days ago.
- She secured the first-ever test victory over Australia
- Won a gold medal for India at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games
- A silver medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games
- And a historic maiden Women’s ODI World Cup
Speaking about Kaur’s win percentages:
In T20IS, she has captained in 130 matches (at the end of December 2025) and won 77 matches, surpassing Meg Lanning’s record.
In One-day Internationals, Harmanpreet has a winning percentage of 63.83.
But at the same time, if the selectors and the team are going to keep the future in mind, certain tough decisions are going to have to be made. And Mandhana, who is at the peak of her career right now and has been the vice-captain for nine years, could be the perfect person right now to lead the transition. And if we were to look at her statistics, they are not bad at all.
- Smriti has stepped in to captain four ODIs till now, all four of which she has won.
- In T20Is, she has a winning percentage of 61.1.
- Having won 11 out of the 18 matches she has captained.
And it’s not as if Smriti doesn’t have the experience of leading her team to a title. She has won the Women’s Premier League twice, once in 2024 and this year.
Coming back to Kaur’s captaincy, in the recently concluded Women’s T20 World Cup, India yet again suffered an exit without making it to the semifinals, a repeat of what happened in the 2024 T20 WC. The only time the side has reached the final was during the 2020 World Cup. Despite all of Harmanpreet’s contributions, they haven’t been able to crack the code in this tournament.
Naturally, questions arose about the captaincy. Has the transition been long overdue for the transition? When should Harmanpreet have stepped down?
Those are questions with many different answers and perspectives. But to say, maybe the perfect time to do so was after the 2025 ODI World Cup victory on home turf. Kaur would’ve stepped down at her peak, and the critics questioning her place maybe wouldn’t have gotten to do so in the first place.
Ultimately, the timing for a new leader to rise to the occasion seems right, but it doesn’t have to end in tears for anyone. Harmanpreet’s legacy is immense and undeniable; that kind of stature deserves respect, not an ending where either of the parties is left hurt. Mandhana has proven her potential as a captain, and her recent comments about her being ready display her readiness for the responsibility. The talent pool is deep, and with two World Cup cycles ahead, now is a natural time for the transition. It’s less about “Mandhana taking over” and more about “the right time to hand over the reins”. If it’s done well, both Kaur and Mandhana get the respect they deserve, and it elevates the team as well.
