Mithali Raj retired in 2022 when Harmanpreet was her deputy. Harmanpreet took charge and went on to win the first Women’s World Cup in 2025. Additionally, Harmanpreet also led the T20I side from 2016 and on Tuesday she announced stepping down as captain.

Mithali Raj spoke to about Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy evolution and what lies ahead for the Indian women’s team.

Q: Tell us about the evolution you have seen in her captaincy.

Mithali: When she took over the ODI captaincy, she was suddenly the senior-most player in the group. With me and Jhulan (Goswami) having retired, there was a different responsibility on her because most of the players around her were younger. You have to understand that when you are leading a younger group, you have to set the example yourself.

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I think she has evolved in that regard. She was more emotional, impulsive and expressive as a young captain, but with age and experience, you naturally become calmer and start looking at situations differently. Over the last few years, I have seen her become more comfortable in that senior-player role: more communicative with players and making them understand what she needs from them.

Q: What do you think her role will be in the team going forward?

Mithali: The next leader can gain valuable inputs from Harman as and when required. But certainly Harman having played for so long should be able to share the experience she has gained over all these years and help the younger players navigate the next phase.


Her role will also depend on where she feels she can contribute best, and that is something the captain and coach can discuss with her. She has a lot to offer as a senior player.

Q: What do you think her role will be as a batter?

Mithali: As players, we all go through different stages in our careers. When you are younger and physically at your peak, you can play a certain way and take on a lot more responsibility. As you get older, you learn to assess where you can contribute most effectively and how you can use your experience.

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Harman’s performance in the crunch knockout game during the 2025 World Cup was good and she has shown throughout her career that she can contribute in important situations. Going forward, I think it will be about finding the right role for her within the batting order and allowing her to contribute in the way that suits her best.

Sometimes, as a senior player, you also want to take on more responsibility when you feel you haven’t been able to contribute as much as you would have liked. That is natural.

Q: Was she more into data or the man-management side as captain?

Mithali: I think it was a combination of both. In the current game, there is so much information available about every player, and as a captain you naturally use that to prepare and make plans. You watch videos, discuss match-ups and work out what you want to try on the field.


But experience also teaches you to trust your instincts. Sometimes what you see in front of you doesn’t necessarily match what the data says, and that’s where a captain’s understanding of the game comes in. I think Harman has had her own style and has successfully balanced both data and man-management.

Harmanpreet Kaur is just the third Indian captain to have won the ODI World Cup across men’s and women’s cricket.

Q: What are the qualities the next Indian women’s captain can imbibe from Harmanpreet?

Mithali: Every individual has their own personality, and that naturally reflects in the way they lead. Harmanpreet’s style was more aggressive and expressive and you could see her personality clearly on the field.

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Smriti Mandhana (current vice-captain), on the other hand, is much more calm and composed. She’s a good reader of the game, analyses situations well and understands her players. She’s also been part of the leadership group for quite some time, and a lot of her contribution behind the scenes perhaps didn’t get noticed enough. So, Smriti will bring her own style.

It doesn’t mean that one style is better than the other. It means that a new leader brings her own personality, her own attributes and her own way of looking at the game.