Smriti praises Harmanpreet’s decade-long leadership after captaincy exit

New India captain Smriti Mandhana and batter Jemimah Rodrigues paid tribute to outgoing skipper Harmanpreet Kaur after she stepped down from leadership across formats. Smriti hailed Harmanpreet’s decade-long leadership, while Jemimah thanked her for her contribution

New Delhi: Newly appointed India women’s cricket team captain Smriti Mandhana and middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues on Wednesday paid rich tributes to outgoing skipper Harmanpreet Kaur following her decision to step down from leadership across all formats.

The BCCI on Tuesday named Smriti as the new captain of the women’s national team after Harmanpreet stepped down from the position.

Harmanpreet’s leadership future came under scrutiny at a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati on Monday following India’s second successive group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in England in June.

“It has 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,” Smriti, who will take over the reins starting with India’s white-ball series against Zimbabwe from October 16, wrote on her Instagram Stories.

Signing off on a high after guiding India to a gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan, Harmanpreet will also be remembered for captaining India to its maiden women’s global championship title at last year’s ODI World Cup. In all, Harmanpreet captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is.

Echoing similar sentiments, Jemimah, who is recovering from a high-grade hamstring tear sustained while playing The Hundred in England, posted on Instagram: “Congratulations on everything you’ve achieved. Thanks for the years of leadership and for everything you did for the team!”

Smriti’s elevation to full-time national captaincy marks a new chapter in her international career. She has represented India in nine Tests, 120 ODIs and 179 T20Is since her debut in 2013, and has been the backbone of the batting line-up alongside Harmanpreet.

She played a pivotal role in the recent Asian Games gold medal win by hitting a stellar 45-ball 79 in the final against Sri Lanka in Nisshin, Japan, and enters the India captaincy job on the back of leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two Women’s Premier League (WPL) titles, in 2024 and 2026.