Former India captain Mithali Raj has publicly stated that Smriti Mandhana should have been elevated to lead the ODI side "two-three years back." Raj believes it is not too late for Mandhana to take command of the 50-over and Test formats, while suggesting that T20I leadership could be handed to a younger player, such as Shafali Verma, who led the team to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2023. Jemimah Rodrigues, who has captained the Delhi Capitals in the WPL, was also cited as a potential candidate, though Raj emphasized that whoever is selected must be given sufficient time to settle into the role.
Raj’s call for a change in leadership follows Mandhana’s own expressed willingness to lead if offered the position. While India’s failure to qualify for the semi-finals in two consecutive T20 World Cups has drawn scrutiny, Raj clarified that tournament results alone are not the sole reason for her critique. Instead, she pointed to concerns regarding current captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s fitness and form. According to Raj, Kaur’s physical condition has been a recurring issue over the last two to three years, noting that the physio has been required on the field frequently, and the captain has missed several matches due to availability issues.
The former skipper also highlighted a pattern in Kaur’s performance across the Dubai T20 World Cup (2024), the ODI World Cup (2025), and the 2026 T20 World Cup, noting that she often struggles to find her rhythm early in tournaments. Raj argued that selectors must consider whether Kaur fits into the long-term cycle of upcoming world events. Furthermore, Raj criticized the current lack of a roadmap, noting that the leadership group has remained stagnant with only Kaur and Mandhana, without grooming a third option.
Raj expressed frustration over the lack of investment in younger leaders, pointing to players like Shafali Verma and Niki Prasad—who led the Under-19 side to a title in 2025—who were not given senior leadership opportunities despite their potential. She concluded that the current selection process lacks a long-term vision, focusing only on individual series rather than planning for the team's future two years down the line.
"Yes, we did not qualify for the semi-finals for the second time in a row but that cannot be the only reason or criteria to come to conclusion that you need to change the leader," Raj said. "Because I believe that there are few boxes that one need to actually see if the player ticks those boxes."
