Smriti Mandhana is now in charge of India across all formats for the tour of South Africa. The BCCI made her full-time white-ball captain on October 6. That came after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role. The December squad announcement also put Mandhana in charge of the Test. Before this, she had already led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs. She has also captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles.
Harmanpreet is still very much part of the picture. She is in the Test, ODI, and T20I squads. Harmanpreet led India to their first women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025. That final was against South Africa. India won by 52 runs in Navi Mumbai.
Mandhana will have two deputies. Deepti Sharma is vice-captain for the Test and ODIs. Shafali Verma is vice-captain for the T20Is. Both are in all three squads. Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Kranti Gaud are also in all three.
The Test and ODI squads are almost the same. They differ by just one name. Sneh Rana is in the Test squad. Vaishnavi Sharma takes her place in the ODIs. Rana took eight wickets in South Africa’s first innings in Chennai in 2024. India won that Test by 10 wickets.
The T20I squad has 17 players, including Niki Prasad, Anushka Sharma, Prema Rawat and Amanjot Kaur. Renuka Singh Thakur and Arundhati Reddy add pace options. G Kamalini is the second wicketkeeper along with Richa Ghosh. Yastika Bhatia is in the Test and ODI squads.
The tour starts with a Test in Gqeberha on December 9. The ODIs are in Paarl on December 16, Cape Town on December 19, and Bloemfontein on December 22. The T20Is begin in Benoni on December 26. The last two T20Is are in Potchefstroom on December 29 and 30.
The December T20Is matter for a bigger reason. India will host the first Women’s Champions Trophy from February 14 to 28, 2027. It is a six-team T20I event. South Africa are one of the teams. The three T20Is in December give Mandhana a close look at a direct rival. They also give her a chance to test combinations before the tournament.
A Look at the Captaincy Record of Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana has done well in both franchise cricket and international cricket. Her biggest success has come with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League. She led RCB to their first WPL title in 2024. That ended the team’s long wait for a trophy. She then led them to a second title in 2026. RCB beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets in that final. With two titles, she became the second captain to win multiple WPL titles. She equalled Harmanpreet Kaur’s record. In her WPL captaincy career with RCB, she has led the team in 35 matches. They have won 18 of those.
On the international stage, Mandhana became India’s full-time white-ball captain on October 6, 2026. That came after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down. Before that full-time role, Mandhana had already captained India in 22 white-ball matches. That included 18 T20Is and 4 ODIs. In those 18 T20Is, India won 11, lost 6, and had one no-result. Her win rate in T20Is as captain was about 64.7%. Her ODI record as captain is perfect. She has captained India in 4 ODIs and won all 4. That is a 100% win record.
Her first series as full-time captain was against Zimbabwe in October 2026. India won both the T20I and ODI series. That was a clean sweep.
Mandhana is often called a “quiet leader.” She does not rely on fiery speeches. Instead, she takes a measured and empathetic approach. She lets players be themselves and leads by example. She takes responsibility for her own performances and sets the standard for the team. One coach said she knows who needs support, who needs ideas, and who needs encouragement. She also has good tactical awareness. Former teammate Shikha Pandey called her “one of the best bowlers’ captains I have played under.”
FAQs
Q. Who will captain India across all formats on the South Africa tour?
A. Smriti Mandhana will lead India in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
Q. Who are India’s vice-captains for the South Africa tour?
A. Deepti Sharma will be vice-captain for Tests and ODIs, while Shafali Verma will serve as T20I vice-captain.
Q. Is Harmanpreet Kaur part of India’s squads for the tour?
A. Yes, Harmanpreet is included in all three squads.
Q. When will India’s tour of South Africa begin?
A. The tour will begin with a Test match in Gqeberha on December 9.
Q. Why are the December T20Is important for India?
A. They will help India prepare combinations for the Women’s Champions Trophy in February 2027.
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