Sports News | Harmanpreet's Experience Will Be Key in Guiding Youngsters: Newly Appointed Captain Smriti Mandhana

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 16 (ANI): Newly appointed India captain Smriti Mandhana said former skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's experience and leadership would be vital in guiding younger players as the Indian women’s cricket team begins a new era under her captaincy, with the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe starting Friday, marking her first assignment in the role.

Following Harmanpreet Kaur's stepping down as captain, Team India will begin the 'Smriti Era' during the three T20Is and ODIs against Zimbabwe at home.

Also Read | Where To Watch UAE ODI Tri-Nation Series 2026 Live Streaming Online and TV Channel Telecast in India.

Speaking on JioStar ahead of the T20I series opener in Raipur, Mandhana opened up about leading the Indian team, why Harmanpreet Kaur's presence will be key in the dressing room, and India's preparations for the ICC Women's Champions Trophy 2027 at home.

Mandhana said Harmanpreet's experience as India's former captain and her approach to match preparation would inspire younger players, adding that her presence would be crucial in helping them learn and develop.

Also Read | IND vs WI 2026: Bhuvneshwar Kumar Called Up as Cover for Arshdeep Singh Ahead of 5th T20I vs West Indies.

"She's led India, she's the longest-serving captain, and has been such a great leader. So I'm sure that her experience, especially with a lot of youngsters coming into the team now, and the way she works towards the game, is going to be inspiring for a lot of people. And I hope they actually watch her, the way she goes about preparing for the game, and learn and take a lot of things from her. So, it's going to be extremely important to have her around the youngsters for them to also groom in a way where sometimes it happens a year or two earlier when you watch someone and start learning from them," she said.

Smriti had a fine Asian Games 2026 campaign, where Team India defended their gold medal under Harmanpreet, which turned out to be her last assignment as skipper as she stepped down just days later after the triumph. India beat Sri Lanka in the final by 147 runs, and Mandhana top-scored for India with 79 runs off 45 balls. In all, she scored 116 runs in two innings during the Asian Games tournament.

The past few tournaments and matches have etched Mandhana's name in history as she currently stands as the leading T20I run-scorer in women's cricket and also the woman with the most international runs and centuries.

In 179 T20Is, she has scored 4,867 runs at an average of 31.00 and a strike rate of over 127, with two centuries and 37 fifties. She has enjoyed a rich run in T20Is this year, with 765 runs in 22 matches and 21 innings at an average of 38.25 and a strike rate of 148.25, with a century and five fifties, including a best score of 124.

Overall, in international cricket, she has made 11,066 runs across 308 appearances, with 18 centuries, joint-most by a batter alongside South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt.

Mandhana described the prospect of leading Team India as a huge honour and responsibility, saying her priorities include raising standards in training, power-hitting, fielding and professionalism while building a strong team culture for younger players to follow.

"Personally, it's a huge honour to represent a country where cricket is almost a religion. In a way, you always start playing cricket to play and win matches for India. Never thought of leading the team, but again, it's a big responsibility because when you step into this role, you have a job to do, you have to deliver. I always say this, that though the captain's name is first on the list, you're always the last on the list in terms of keeping everyone ahead. I've been in the leadership group for a while now, but I definitely had written down a roadmap every time,” she said while speaking on JioStar. 

“The first thing which comes to my mind is the professionalism around it and trying to have this team go about things like a well-oiled machine. Like, taking our training, power-hitting, fielding and professionalism one notch higher. And, of course, setting a culture. You always take up this role to leave it in a way where you set a culture for the team, for the rest of the girls to follow. So, you don't just do this for the sake of it," she added.

Mandhana said the six T20Is against Zimbabwe and South Africa will be crucial for India to identify their style of play, assess player roles and draw key lessons ahead of the ICC Women's Champions Trophy 2027 on home soil in February next year, with the WPL also scheduled before the tournament.

"In the T20 format, we have six matches before the Champions Trophy. Of course, before that, the WPL will happen, but as an Indian team, three here and the three against South Africa for us to take it forward. So, it's going to be extremely important to see what style of cricket you want to play, what brand of cricket you want to play, and who's fitting where. So yeah, there will be a lot of takeaways from this series as well," she said. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)