'Steel And Velvet': What Smriti Mandhana Brings As India's New All-format Captain

Steel and velvet: What Smriti Mandhana brings as Indias new all-format captain (Nisshin: India Women vs Sri Lanka Women, Asian Games Final)

What Smriti Mandhana:  The first thing Biju George noticed about a teenaged Smriti Mandhana at the BCCI's first-ever Under-19 girls' camp, held in Guntur in 2013/14, was the cover drive. Tall and bespectacled, Smriti leaned into the ball so sweetly while playing the cover drive that George nicknamed her 'Lady Dada'.

The second thing he noticed was her gutsy nature when she came to him to solve an issue. "She came up to me and said, 'Listen, I find it difficult. I am like a compulsory hooker. So people get me out with that and I want to work on that,'" George said to IANS.

He and a colleague, Raghu, took her to the indoor nets at the old NCA and threw balls at her for hours till the issue was solved. That habit and maturity runs through almost every account of Smriti Mandhana, India's new all-format captain. Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as India’s skipper on October 6, though she will carry on as a player.

She leaves after leading India to its first-ever ODI World Cup at home in 2025, a second Asian Games gold medal and twin Asia Cup triumphs. But under Harmanpreet’s captaincy, India was also a T20I side that has gone out in the group stage of the last two World Cups, though she was hamstrung by the absence of key all-rounders this year.

Smriti, 30, has led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs as a stand-in captain and taken Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to WPL titles in 2024 and 2026, apart. This year she passed Mithali Raj as the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket, made a record 18th international hundred to surpass Meg Lanning, and moved past Suzie Bates to be at the top of the T20I run charts.

In March, Mattel made her a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll, the first cricketer to be bestowed with that honour. Aarti Vaidya, the former India player and national selector, feels a measured and assured Smriti is very prepared to begin life as the side’s captain. "She has played a lot of WBBL and franchise matches in England too. So she has that international cricket experience of handling and being with different teams and that helps."

Similar views are echoed by Malolan Rangarajan, RCB's women's head coach. "It's very well deserving for someone who has worked so hard on her game and also contributed so much to Indian cricket. She has been India’s vice-captain for such a long time and so, it's a well-deserved elevation and adds another feather in Smriti's cap," he said to IANS.

It also helped that when Smriti captained RCB, it had former international captains like Heather Knight and Sophie Devine. "While picking her, it wasn't like we were waiting to see how good a captain she was. She had captained before she joined RCB also. So she was very well experienced back then itself.

“But having worked with her over a period of 4-5 years now, you get to know the person also. She is a leader of a team and not a leader of select individuals. She always thinks about what's best for the team, how can this team, and anything with it, go forward.

“I'm pretty sure regardless of her being the Indian captain or not, even as the vice-captain, she was always thinking about how well she can contribute and take Indian cricket forward," added Rangarajan.

Asked about instances in WPL where Smriti the skipper shined, Rangarajan is wary of reducing it to a single moment. "She's got an extraordinary pulse of the game. She knows what works, and what doesn't work. With her, it was always about knowing what's best for the team and what's best for a situation. So I can't point out a single situation in which Smriti was amazing.

“She's a very, very, very experienced player. She knows a lot of Indian and international girls. Even tactically, she's very, very adept - knows exactly what to do when and just overall, her experience has been amazing," he said.

Tejal Hasabnis, who will play under Smriti in the ODI series against Zimbabwe in Vadodara, knows Smriti well from the Maharashtra days. Getting to debut internationally under Smriti’s captaincy during the 50-over clash against New Zealand in Ahmedabad in 2024 will always be a fun fact worth cherishing for the right-handed batter.

"Growing up, I have played a lot of cricket under her. She used to lead Maharashtra senior side as well. So, yes, it will be very familiar and I am just looking forward to it. I am so excited because this is kind of a new chapter starting for the Indian women's cricket team. So, I am very excited to see how she approaches it and what will come next."

She also gives a glowing assessment of what playing under Smriti’s captaincy is like. "Basically, Smriti is someone who is a very calm and thoughtful person off the field and is the same on the field. I feel she is someone who prepares and then she just comes there and executes her plan with a calm head.

“Even in domestic games, she was pretty clear on what she wanted from the team. She gave us role clarity - like what she expects from the players and when just out there, she supports us to execute our plans."

Former India player Soniya Dabir was Smriti’s roommate when she first broke into Maharashtra's senior side as a shy teenager. Made the side’s captain at 16, Smriti leaned on the senior players rather than trying to impress them.

"She used to listen to everyone for help in terms of formulating strategies. She could make it out whose advice was to be taken and used to think about the situations differently. That thought process was very clear from a young age. With the bat, we always believed that as long as she was there, we could still go ahead and win the match."

Smriti has spent her India career under two very different leaders: the measured Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet, whose fire a team still learning to believe in itself needed a lot. "Luckily for her, she got to play under Mithali and Harman for a long time. So she is quite experienced for that job and on and off, when Harman was not available, she was also taking her place," says Aarti.

George puts this captaincy change in a well-thought phrase. "Harman was steel-steel. Now Smriti will be steel and velvet. Harman can be aloof at certain times. Smriti is never aloof. Smriti is always available and I know the girls will love working with Smriti."

He calls it ‘a new era for India, where the captaincy is more welcoming.’ In George’s view, Smriti is that ‘one girl who will always listen’ and one of the few who would ‘reach out and ask.’ "Smriti and Jemi (Jemimah Rodrigues) are a few people who have never changed," he said.

Aarti feels the change at the helm has arrived at the right time. "I just thought time had come for her to take charge now. I guess she would handle it properly because she has that experience with her." George, though, will watch out for one adjustment. "Challenges will be working with the same support staff because they were so much used to Harman's style of captaincy."

A home Champions Trophy in February 2027, then the T20 World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and ODI World Cup title defence in 2029 – a great showing in all of them will be on Smriti’s radar. Results will decide how her captaincy will be judged, especially with the social media era quick in asking questions and hurling criticisms.

That level of scrutiny, long reserved for India's men's captains, is a measure of how far the women's game has come. Harmanpreet built a side that learned to fight, and then to win and constantly challenge big teams. Smriti’s task will be to take it up a notch and also crack the code of success in the shortest format while being the ever-dependable batter.

"She's been playing the sport at the highest level for a while now. She knows what it takes to play at that level. Not only play, but to also be a superstar at that level. So, it's come at a very good time for her and the Indian cricket team.

“Knowing Smriti, the only thing she'll be thinking about is how she can take this team to the next level. They've obviously won the World Cup in the 50 overs and knowing her, she'll be thoroughly and fully focused on how she can make this team even better," added Rangarajan.

It also helps that Smriti is easily approachable and shows empathy towards newbies and youngsters to give them a sense of belonging. "With Smriti, what you see is what you get. Regardless of her seniority or experience, she conducts herself in a very, very calm manner.

“She's very approachable, and I'm pretty sure if you speak to more girls, they'll echo the same sentiment of how good Smriti is around the group and how she is. RCB also has found a couple of players who came in as uncapped players and have now gone on to play for the country, and that's a testament to how Smriti has led the team," said Rangarajan.

He also feels Smriti can easily compartmentalise her batting and captaincy duties. "Again, Smriti is experienced enough to detach the two. When she captains, she captains and when she bats, she's mature and experienced enough to think like a batter and do what's required for the team. So, knowing her as a person, I don't think it's going to make too much of a difference, her being a captain or not."

Soniya also agrees with it. "I don't think that captaincy pressure will matter that much to her. She is used to it now. Like she said in an interview, a captain is more answerable. So now she has an idea of what she is going to face. She will take it as an opportunity. There are still lots of trophies to be won."

Aarti adds, "If you have that hunger to win, then obviously there are a lot of things which come your way and I guess she has that hunger and proved it during WPL also. She has handled the team there very well."

Rangarajan returns to clarity of thought in Smriti, the leader. "Smriti is such an experienced player. She knows every player - literally every player. Practically, she’s very, very clear. She doesn't waste her time around and wants to do what's right for the team. Even in meetings, she's very clear with the messaging that needs to go out to the team. She's been absolutely good and I don't expect her to do anything different in the Indian team."

Aarti adds, "If you have that hunger to win, then obviously there are a lot of things which come your way and I guess she has that hunger and proved it during WPL also. She has handled the team there very well."

Article Source: IANS