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Former India women’s national cricket team captain Mithali Raj has recently suggested that Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma should be handed the white-ball captaincy after the team’s failure at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England.
Mithali believes that India's women should start preparing a young captain for the future in T20 cricket. The former captain said that ‘Smriti would lead the ODI format two-three years back’ while backing Shafali Verma for T20I captaincy, as she feels that is her format.
Mithali Raj suggests big captaincy changes after India's ICC T20 World Cup 2026 failure
This statement has not been welcomed by everyone. One social media user tagged Mithali and questioned her suggestion, as she wants the current captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, to lead the team only in Tests. Recently, Mithali Raj fears India's bowling could derail Women's T20 World Cup hopes.
The fan said she could not understand why Mithali wanted Shafali to become India's T20 captain because leadership is altogether a different thing. The user felt that Smriti Mandhana should continue as captain in both ODIs and T20Is.
The legendary batter noticed it and explained why she feels this is the right time to give young players leadership opportunities. Mithali first made it clear that she has complete faith in Smriti Mandhana's leadership.
Why Mithali Raj wants Shafali Verma to lead T20I team
She said that there is no doubt about Smriti's ability to captain India across the formats, but her thinking about T20 cricket is different because she is looking at India's future. She believes Shafali is still very young and has already become one of India's most dangerous T20 batters.
Shafali has one of the best strike rates in women's T20 cricket, can also bowl when needed, and has been part of India's T20 team since 2019. She explained that leadership does not come automatically, but they need chances to prove themselves on the field. And that’s why she feels Shafali should be considered for the role instead of waiting until she becomes more experienced.
Mithali Raj replied to a social media user by saying, "That's a fair question. This isn’t about Smriti’s ability to lead, and I have no doubt about that, which is why I've mentioned that she’s well suited to captain India in the longer formats. My thought on Shafali is more about looking ahead. She’s still young, has one of the best strike rates, can bowl, and has been in the T20 setup since 2019; leadership is developed not on the shelf but on the field.”
Mithali Raj backs Jemimah Rodrigues for leadership
The former captain also named Jemimah Rodrigues as another player who is ready for the responsibility. The women’s legend further explained that Jemimah has gained valuable experience by playing with and against top players in the T20 league around the world.
Mithali stressed that the poor ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 should not decide Jemimah’s future because every cricketer goes through tough times, as she praised the star batter for always putting the team first. She felt both Shafali and Jemimah are ready to take on India’s T20I captaincy. Amid this, Harmanpreet Kaur creates History at Lord's with record-breaking fifty against England.
She signed off by saying, “Likewise, Jemimah, she is a part of every International T20 league. And it's true she didn’t have a good World Cup, but that can happen to any player. She is a team player, selfless, and an excellent player of spin; she also saves 20-25 runs every game with her fielding, which often goes unnoticed. So according to me, both are truly prepared.”
That’s a fair question.
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) July 17, 2026
This isn’t about Smriti’s ability to lead, and I have no doubt about that, which is why I've mentioned that's she’s well suited to captain India in the longer formats.
My thought on Shafali is more about looking ahead. She’s still young, has one of the… https://t.co/a5P6OHNFYr
