Live Update: ‘She doesn’t need to clone Harman’ – Anjum Chopra urges Smriti Mandhana to carve her own path as India ctain Anjum Chopra believes Smriti Mandhana has the experience and familiarity with the Indian team to establish her own leadership identity rather than replicate Harmanpreet Kaur’s proach.
‘She doesn’t need to clone Harman’ – Anjum Chopra urges Smriti Mandhana to carve her own path as India ctain (Photo by Stuart Leggett/MI News/NurPhoto via ) Smriti Mandhana was pointed India’s all-format ctain on October 6, 2026, following Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to step down after a decade leading the team. Mandhana has previously ctained India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, bringing prior experience to the role. Her first full-time assignment will be the home series against Zimbabwe, with three T20Is scheduled in Raipur from October 16.
A strategic review meeting took place in Guwahati on October 7, 2026, bringing together Smriti, Harmanpreet, head coach Amol Muzumdar and BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia to discuss the transition. Smriti participated in the selection meeting with the Amita Sharma-led selection panel for the Zimbabwe squads. Former Indian cricketer Anjum Chopra has assessed Mandhana’s readiness for the role, highlighting the distinct advantages she brings to the ctaincy compared with her predecessors.
“Smriti does not need to step into Harman’s shoes at all. She has experience leading India. The Guwahati games against England in 2019 were the first time she ctained the team and, fortunately, she has had more time in a leadership role prior to becoming full-time ctain than Harman or anyone else had,” said Anjum as quoted by NDTV Sports.
“Smriti can chart her own territory. The challenges the Indian team currently faces are well known, and I am sure Smriti is aware of them. Her biggest challenge will be addressing those gs, whether in T20Is or ODIs, and building on where the team has reached.
All these players – Dee, Smriti, Jemimah – reached this pedestal together. Now it’s about taking it to the next level,” she added. Take the best parts and bring forward: Anjum Anjum said Mandhana should develop her own leadership style rather than imitate Harmanpreet Kaur.
She stressed that Smriti must build on her 12 to 13 years of experience with India, using the lessons learned from previous leaders to strengthen her decision-making and take the team forward. “If you weren’t looking for a change, why did the change hpen? I don’t expect Smriti to be a clone of Harman, and nobody should be a clone.
You take the best parts of every leader, bring them forward, and make them your own. Smriti has been around the Indian team for a long time now. She doesn’t need to clone Harman; she needs to build on everything she has learned playing for India over the last 12 to 13 years.
She has experience in containment, a high level of qualifications and world travel. She knows the conditions and resistance around the world,” Anjum said. “The next step for her is to decide what points she will incorporate into her own decision-making and how she will move the team forward.
If each group is identical and uses the same template, no changes are necessary. No ctain should be the same. They must elevate the team beyond what it was when the baton was passed to them and ensure that the team has reached greater heights by the time the next person takes over.
That is how the sport progresses, and that is how players grow individually,” she added. Road to Champions Trophy will be crucial: Anjum Anjum believes Indian players will need time to get used to Mandhana’s control but expects the transition to be smooth. She pointed out that the Zimbabwe series would provide an opportunity to get used to the new leadership structure.
Chopra also emphasized the importance of individual responsibility and collective clarity in preparing India for future challenges. “It will not be easy for any player to adt to this change. The good news is that the Indian team will have some time to settle in and I expect there will be a camp before the series begins.
This series isn’t against a world No. Therefore, on the one hand, where the tension is high, the players have space and time to adt. The people in this locker room will quickly realize that they need to look in a different direction for instructions and guidance.
Nobody has to play the older sister; Everyone knows each other pretty well and the players will behave as usual,” Anjum said. “Although you have different setups in the different formats, the content remains the same for both the T20I and ODI sides. How everyone is preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy in India is being closely examined.
Everyone has to start defining their own pathway. While the ctain makes the ultimate decisions, every player in this team must understand their individual role before they step onto that path collectively,” she added. Mandhana has good experience in ctaincy: Anjum Anjum highlighted Mandhana’s experience, particularly her success as Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s ctain in the WPL, as valuable preparation for leading India.
She believes Smriti has developed the skills and understanding required for the role. Chopra added that her leadership will now be assessed through her decisions, preparation and ability to guide the team forward. “When you become a full-time leader and start ctaining the Indian team, it’s the experiences you dwell upon.
Smriti has built up a good amount of experience over the years. The WPL is a prime example. When you lead a franchise team in your own country and win titles, you learn a lot about yourself.
She has had very good grooming to become a leader. That’s why those statements came out saying she’s ready for the ctaincy. Someone without that background wouldn’t say that; they’d simply say, ‘I’m looking forward to the challenge.’ The language and preparation change when you’re ready,” said Anjum.
“How she comes out as the leader of the Indian team is something we will all see. Whatever hpened in the past is done. Now the job is clearly defined: you are the ctain of the Indian team.
What you make of it – the decisions, the preparation, the process – will be what we start analysing and measuring from here,” she concluded.
