3 Captaincy candidates for India Women's team after Harmanpreet Kaur

India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down from her position in all three formats. She leaves after serving in the leadership role for a decade. Harmanpreet leaves behind a rich legacy for her successor to follow, having taken India to unprecedented heights during her tenure.

As she steps aside, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has little time to announce her replacement for the next series against Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin on October 16. As the sun sets on Harmanpreet’s captaincy career, here are her three possible replacements:

1. Smriti Mandhana

The star batter has already become the face of Indian cricket with her prolific run across formats. Mandhana’s career has been on an upward curve over the past few years, having played a key role in India’s several memorable victories.

She has already proven her leadership worth by guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to two titles in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Having already led India on multiple occasions in the absence of Harmanpreet, Mandhana is the front-runner to succeed her as captain.

2. Jemimah Rodrigues

The star batter has been one of the rising stars in Indian cricket and is also one of the few regular mainstays across all three formats. Jemimah Rodrigues has already proven her pedigree to seize the big moments, having played countless innings for the team in dire straits.

The 26-year-old assumed Delhi Capitals’ (DC) leadership role for the WPL 2026 and guided the team to a fourth consecutive runners-up finish. She could also emerge as a potential captaincy candidate, with several years of career still ahead of her.

3. Shafali Verma

The 22-year-old has also been one of the consistent performers of the team in recent times across formats. Verma made a dramatic comeback to the team ahead of the World Cup 2025 knockout fixtures and immediately made her presence felt with a Player of the Match performance in the final. 

Verma has also proven her leadership credentials by guiding the Indian women’s U-19 team to a T20 World Cup triumph in 2023. Hence, she could also emerge as a captaincy candidate for at least T20Is.