Mithali Endorses Shafali And Jemimah For Future India T20I Captaincy

NEW DELHI-Former India captain Mithali Raj has backed youngsters Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues as future leaders of the Indian women’s T20I team, saying both are “truly prepared” to take over the captaincy from Harmanpreet Kaur.

Mithali’s remarks come after India suffered group-stage exits in two consecutive ICC Women’s T20 World Cups under Harmanpreet’s leadership. Harmanpreet is expected to captain India at the Women’s Asia Cup in August-September and the Asian Games in Japan in September-October.

Responding to a fan on social media platform X, who questioned her support for Shafali over current India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Mithali said her comments were focused on India’s long-term plans.

“That’s a fair question. This isn’t about Smriti’s ability to lead, and I have no doubt about that, which is why I’ve mentioned that’s she’s well suited to captain India in the longer formats,” Mithali wrote on X.

Explaining her support for Shafali, who captained India to the inaugural ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup title in 2023, Mithali said, “My thought on Shafali is more about looking ahead. She’s 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 on the field.”

On Jemimah Rodrigues, who captained Delhi Capitals to runners-up finish in the 2026 Women’s Premier League, Mithali said, “Likewise, Jemimah, she is a part of every International T20 league. And it’s true she didn’t have a good World Cup but that can happen to any player.

“She is a team player, selfless and 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 truly prepared.” (IANS)