‘Ten years of your leadership have been fantastic’: Smriti Mandhan’s heartfelt message to Harmanpreet Kaur

Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur (ICC photo) Smriti Mandhana has paid tribute to Harmanpreet Kaur after she was named the new captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, describing her former captain’s ten-year leadership as “fantastic”.

Story by Smriti Mandhana for Harmanpreet Kaur

Sharing a picture of Harmanpreet on her Instagram story, Mandhana wrote, “It has been a pleasure to play with you for so many years. The ten years of your leadership have been fantastic and together we will strive to bring many more laurels to our nation.”Mandhana was named as Harmanpreet’s successor on Tuesday after the 37-year-old decided to step down as India’s captain across formats.Part of the Indian squad since 2013, 30-year-old Mandhana had earlier led the team in 18 T20Is and four ODIs. He will now take care of the cue balls full time.The left-handed opener has also celebrated success as a captain in domestic and franchise cricket, notably leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the Women’s Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026.Mandhana has been one of the leading figures in Indian women’s cricket, scoring over 10,000 runs across formats. Her promotion marks the beginning of a new era of leadership for the team after Harmanpreet’s tenure.Harmanpreet, who first led India in 2016, stepped down after captaining the team to a second gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan.Her decision followed a review meeting with the BCCI, ending a decade at the helm during which India won the 2025 ODI World Cup and retained Asian Games gold.Mandhana’s message underlined the continuity between the two eras, with the new captain acknowledging the contribution of her predecessor while looking ahead to the next chapter of Indian women’s cricket.