Not Smriti Mandhana! This Youngster Picked As India's Next T20I Captain

India women's cricket team won a historic Test match at Lord's recently but their performance in the T20 World Cup 2026 is still under the scanner. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who is leading the team in all three formats, is also in danger of losing her captaincy in T20Is.

Recently, former India captain Mithali Raj was asked about India's future leadership plans and as expected, Smriti Mandhana's name was in the fray. However, Raj also named Shafali Verma, whose name was totally unexpected for the consideration of the role.

Mithali Raj Picks Shafali Verma as India Women Next T20I Captain

While speaking to PTI, Mithali Raj picked Shafali Verma as one of the contenders for India women's T20I captaincy. The former India batter believes that Shafali is well suited for T20Is and has also led India in the Women's Under-19 World Cup before.

The comment of Mithali Raj on India next T20I captain has opened up a new debate. The regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is 37 years old currently and it might be the perfect time to pass on the baton to the next generation, especially for the T20Is.

Verma has emerged as one of the best women cricketers despite being at the early stages of her career. The 22-year-old led India to the inaugural Women's Under-19 World Cup win in 2023.

Interestingly, it was India's first-ever ICC trophy in women's cricket as Shafali etched her name in the history. It proves the trust of Mithali Raj on Shafali Verma as the new skipper of the T20I side. Adding to it, Mithali backed Mandhana for the captaincy role in the Tests and the ODIs.

Will Harmanpreet Kaur Remain India's T20I Captain?

After India failed to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, there has been a lot of pressure on Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy future. The cricket pundits have argued that this is the perfect time to hand over the leadership duties to Smriti Mandhana, the current vice-captain.

When asked to Harmanpreet, she left it to the board and the selectors to make this decision. The next Women's T20 World Cup is two years away and India will be looking to prepare a team from now onwards. Their performance in the last two Women's T20 World Cups has been below-par, leaving them in a precarious situation.