Harmanpreet or Smriti: Who should lead India to LA28?

Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana
Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana (PC: BCCI Women)

At the end of the T20 World Cup in England, much was said about why India should look at Smriti Mandhana as captain going into LA28.

Harmanpreet Kaur has done the job for a decade, and India’s performances in the last two editions of the tournament have been below par. While India won the 50-over World Cup under Harmanpreet in 2025, the T20 performances have not been up to the mark.

An infusion of fresh ideas seemed the logical way forward, particularly with the Olympics just two years away. Does Harmanpreet inspire confidence in the T20 format as captain to guide India to an Olympic medal? That is the question that needs to be asked.

Thereafter, India won the Lord’s Test under Harmanpreet and, as is always the case, the issue was swept under the carpet. A Test-match win became the mask for the T20 World Cup failure, and once again formats were mixed up by fans back home.

Now, with India doing well in the Asia Cup – a below-par competition featuring weaker teams – there is every reason to assume that we will enter what I call an ‘illusion of complacency’. Not winning the Asia Cup would be news. Anything else is routine. No team in the competition comes close to India, and it cannot be used as a yardstick.

In 10 days, India will play at the Asian Games. Yet again, the same teams currently in Dubai will be in Japan. Yet again, it will be easy. And yet again, the real issues could be glossed over with a gold medal.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana
Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana (PC: ACC)

This is where the problem lies. We cannot mask things with these easy wins. India will be tested again during the Champions Trophy, and the questions will return. Only valuable time would have been lost.

Harmanpreet the batter remains key for India. Her effort in the last match of the T20 World Cup at Lord’s was proof of that. She played brilliantly against Australia, and there is no replacement for her just yet.

But as captain, there was little to feel good about. The question is whether the selectors will look at competitions such as the Asia Cup and Asian Games when making a long-term call. Isn’t Olympic gold the goal?

Can this team, under Harmanpreet, inspire confidence that it can accomplish that mission?

As captain, Smriti has done well. She has been a standout for RCB, and the titles tell their own story. For India, I have seen her step up time and again to do the job. In a 50-over contest, for example, she has often led when Harmanpreet has gone off the field.

The truth is that Smriti is ready and deserves a chance. If she has to build a team for LA, she will need time to settle into the role and make the most of it.

In this catch-22, all that matters is what is best for India. The Asia Cup and Asian Games will not truly test India, and the selectors need to remember that before making the call.

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