Mithali Raj Suggests Shafali Verma for T20 Captaincy, Smriti Mandhana for Longer Formats

Former Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj has clarified her recent comments on potential successors to current captain Harmanpreet Kaur. In a social media exchange, Raj explained her reasoning for suggesting that Smriti Mandhana should lead the team in ODIs and Tests, while the younger Shafali Verma could be groomed for T20 captaincy.

Raj's initial remarks drew a question from a cricket fan on X (formerly Twitter), who asked why Mandhana could not captain both ODIs and T20Is. The fan noted that Shafali Verma has yet to prove herself in a leadership role and does not captain or vice-captain a team in the Women's Premier League (WPL).

Responding, Raj wrote: “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.”

Raj also mentioned Jemimah Rodrigues as another strong candidate for the T20 role. “Jemimah is a part of every international T20 league. She is a team player, selfless, and an excellent player of spin. She also saves 20-25 runs every game with her fielding,” Raj said.

The discussion comes after India's early exit from the recent T20 World Cup. Under Harmanpreet Kaur, the team has not reached the final of a T20 ICC event since 2018, though she led India to an ODI World Cup title last year. Selectors may consider a change in leadership after the upcoming Asian Games.

In an earlier interview with PTI, Raj had said: “I at least thought Smriti would lead the ODI format two, three years back. But now, with the experience she has, the ODI and Test formats should be given to her, and perhaps the T20 to someone younger. For T20Is, I think Shafali. She has led the Under-19 World Cup. Why not Shafali? Jemi too, of course. But whoever they pick, they need to give them time to settle, because all of us got time to settle in our role as a leader.”