A major shift in Indian women’s cricket leadership is being strongly recommended following India’s historic ICC Women’s World Cup success. Former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy has suggested that Harmanpreet Kaur should hand over the captaincy role to star batter Smriti Mandhana to ensure India continues progressing on the global stage. She believes the transition is overdue and would benefit both the national team and Harmanpreet’s own performance as a player.
According to Rangaswamy the current moment offers a crucial window to plan ahead with major tournaments approaching including the T20 World Cup next year and the 2029 ODI World Cup. She explained that Smriti Mandhana is prepared to lead India across formats and should be given the responsibility with a long term vision. The former captain emphasised that relieving Harmanpreet of leadership duties would allow her to focus more on batting and fielding where she remains exceptional.
Although a leadership change after winning a world title may appear unexpected Rangaswamy said the decision would reflect a strong cricketing mindset prioritising future success rather than celebrating the present alone. She drew a comparison with the men’s team where selectors moved forward with new leadership options after a major title triumph signalling the importance of forward planning in both formats of the game.
While praising India’s batting strength and resilience during the World Cup she expressed concern about the bowling unit and fielding standards indicating that the team still has key areas to improve. She remarked that India must address these gaps quickly to maintain dominance against top cricketing nations.
Rangaswamy believes the World Cup victory will shape the future of women’s cricket in the country inspiring young players and creating a stronger talent pipeline. She also acknowledged the efforts of outgoing chief selector Neetu David and her selection committee for putting together a champion squad that made history.
With growing expectations and bigger goals ahead the upcoming decision on captaincy could define India’s journey in the next era of women’s cricket.
