Smriti Mandhana will lead India women's team in future, says Ramesh Powar

Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana are the contenders for leading the team in the longer formats of the game. Harmanpreet is currently the captain of the T20I team and Smriti Mandhana is the vice-captain. However, Mandhana was Mithali Raj’s deputy in the ODI series and a standalone pink-ball Test against Australia, in Harmanpreet's absence who was sidelined with injury. Powar insists that the discussion needs to be done after the World Cup in March-April next year.  

"We are looking at her (Mandhana) as a leader as always," Powar said. "She has been the vice-captain and at some point, she will lead this side. I don't know the format now; BCCI, the selectors and me will get together and decide the next course of action." 

"Captaincy has got nothing to do with age, but I am convinced that Mandhana can be the captain [after the 50-over World Cup]," Raman had said during a virtual interaction organised by Sony Sports India last week. "She is a good reader of the game and has already played few years of cricket. It can be a good time and giving captaincy to a younger cricketer means they can lead the side for a stretch for some years."