For Smriti Mandhana, the start of her full-time stint as captain is a chance to impose her style, identify her team's shortcomings in T20I cricket, and lay the groundwork for a tournament that could define India's next era in the shortest format.
India's upcoming fixtures against Zimbabwe and South Africa will give the left-handed batsman a chance to test her ideas. A three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, followed by three ODIs, will mark the start of her captaincy tenure before India travels to South Africa for a multi-format tour. The inaugural Women's Champions Trophy is scheduled for early next year, and Mandhana sees the upcoming fixtures as an important phase in India's preparations.
Immediate priority is to make the most of the six T20Is before the tournament. For the newly appointed captain, these matches are an opportunity to set the bar, evaluate combinations and get her team ready to present a defined approach when the competition begins.
Six T20Is to shape India's Champions Trophy preparations
Mandhana set to lead India in first full-time assignment as captain, with Zimbabwe becoming first African side to play in bilateral women's series.
India's captain expects challenges but hopes the experience will help build momentum for the national team.
“I think, the first bilateral (series) with Zimbabwe, I think, it is very exciting; it is our first time playing with them,” Mandhana said to reporters.
She added that the value of facing teams apart from international powerhouses could teach her a lesson on how to approach the sport.
“Sometimes, playing with Zimbabwe and all the Associate nations, it feels like you can learn a lot from them as well because they enjoy playing their cricket,” Mandhana said.
She is, however, focused on the task in front of her. Mandhana knows India only has six T20Is before the Champions Trophy, so they will have to learn from every match they play and set standards for how they will approach the next 3 months leading up to it.
“But again, we have 6 T20 matches before the Champions Trophy as an Indian team, so we will look to set standards as an Indian team (as to) how we approach the next 3 months leading up to the Champions Trophy,” she added.
Their upcoming series against Zimbabwe will give an early indication of how Mandhana intends to lead the team while the tour of South Africa will test their adaptability. The two series will allow the Indian managers to get a sense of combinations, roles and areas of concern before their next major challenge.
Finding the right T20I formula
India will not only be building up momentum. Mandhana is aware there are areas of her T20I game she will have to improve upon.
The shortest format requires clarity, adaptability under pressure and contribution from across the playing XI. The two series will give India a chance to refine those areas when they face South Africa.
“We have won the World Cup in the last one-and-a-half years, but there were a few things which we needed to work in the T20 format especially,” Mandhana said.
She is, however, keen to recognize the positive contributions of players who have come into the side.
“But I would say our strength has been the players who have come in. They have done extremely well. On the first day, I wouldn't really want to talk about weaknesses in a way,” she said.
She does not want to let the focus on the shortcomings overshadow the positives, but it will be her challenge to turn those positives into a stronger team approach that can withstand the pressure of a big tournament.
“There is a lot of things we need to work on. We need a lot of things to get in place. But I think today is the day to talk about good and positive stuff,” she added.
Her comments are a balanced approach as she begins her time in charge of the Indian team – an awareness that they still have some work to do but confidence in the players who have helped them get where they are now. The coming months will test how that balance translates into performances on the field.
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A new chapter in Smriti Mandhana's leadership journey
Taking on full-time captaincy will put Mandhana at the forefront of preparing India for the coming months ahead. Her main task will be to set expectations – and keep the confidence and freedom of a team that has already demonstrated its ability to deliver.
The series against Zimbabwe will give an early indication of how well she is beginning to understand the game, while the tour of South Africa will test her ability to learn from the team and settle on combinations before the next big challenge.
Before the cricket gets underway, the Indian women's team will travel to New Delhi on Thursday alongside the men's team for a felicitation event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their gold-medal triumph at the Asian Games.
Once the celebrations are over, the team will be back at the task at hand. Zimbabwe and South Africa will provide an important run of international fixtures for India before they turn their attention to the Champions Trophy.
For Mandhana, the focus will be on setting standards, strengthening India's T20I approach and using the coming months to prepare them for the challenges ahead. Her captaincy journey begins with a clear task – a vision that will be tested by her performance on the field.