Former India women’s national cricket team captain Mithali Raj recently suggested that Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma should be handed the white-ball captaincy after the team’s failure in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England.
Mithali believes that India women should start grooming a young captain for the future in T20 cricket. The former skipper backed Shafali Verma for T20 captaincy, saying that ‘Smriti will lead the ODI format two-three years ago’ as she feels this is her format.
Mithali Raj suggests major changes in captaincy after India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 failure
Not everyone has welcomed this statement. A social media user tagged Mithali and questioned her suggestion as she wants current captain Harmanpreet Kaur to lead the team only in Tests. Recently, Mithali Raj fears that India’s bowling may spoil the hopes of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
The fan said that she could not understand why Mithali wanted Shafali to become India’s T20 captain because leadership is a completely different thing. The user believes that Smriti Mandhana should remain the captain in both ODI and T20.
The great batsman weighed in and explained why he feels this is the right time to give leadership opportunities to young players. Mithali first made it clear that she has full faith in Smriti Mandhana’s leadership.
Why does Mithali Raj want Shafali Verma to be the captain of the T20 team?
He said that there is no doubt about Smriti’s ability to captain India in all formats, but her thinking about T20 cricket is different as she sees the future of India. He believes that Shafali is still very young and has already become one of India’s most dangerous T20 batsmen.
Shafali’s strike rate is one of the best in women’s T20 cricket, she can also bowl when needed and has been a part of India’s T20 team since 2019. He explained that leadership does not come automatically, but they need opportunities to prove themselves on the field. And that’s why he feels Shefali should be considered for the role instead of waiting until she’s more experienced.
Mithali Raj, replying to a social media user, said, “It’s a fair question. It’s not about Smriti’s ability to lead, and I have no doubts about it, which is why I mentioned that she is suitable to captain India in the longer formats. My view on Shafali is about looking ahead. She is 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 in the field.”
Mithali Raj supports 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 added that Jemima has gained valuable experience by playing with and against top players in T20 leagues around the world.
Mithali insisted that a poor ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 should not decide Jemimah’s future as every cricketer goes through tough times, as she praised the star batsman for always putting the team first. He felt that both Shafali and Jemimah were ready to take over the T20I captaincy of India. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur created history at Lord’s by scoring a record-breaking half-century against England.
He signed off by saying, “Similarly, Jemima, she is a part of every international T20 league. And it’s true that she hasn’t had a good World Cup, but that can happen to any player. She is a team player, selfless and is 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 really ready.”
This is a fair question.
It is not about Smriti’s ability to lead, and I have no doubt about that, which is why I have mentioned that she is suitable to captain India in the longer formats.My view on Shafali is more about looking ahead. He’s still young, he’s got one of… https://t.co/a5P6OHNFYr
– Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) July 17, 2026