Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur. (Photo source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Some players do not just play the game; they transform it. In Indian women’s cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur is undoubtedly one such player. With her fearless approach and aggressive batting style, she brought a new dimension to the game and inspired a generation of cricketers across the country.

Under her leadership, India reached new heights, including the historic triumph in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup on home soil.

However, as Harmanpreet enters the twilight phase of her illustrious career, discussions about the team’s future leadership have naturally begun.

The question now is, who will take over the captaincy mantle and lead Indian women’s cricket into its next era? With the rise of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the emergence of several capable leaders, the Indian women's team has a number of promising candidates who could step up to fill the role.

Here are 3 possible future Indian women's captains after Harmanpreet Kaur: 3. Deepti Sharma

One of the most prominent names in Indian women’s cricket, DeeptiSharma, can be considered for the role after Harmanpreet Kaur. Deepti has played more than 275 international matches for India. With immense experience under her belt, she may already have the respect of her teammates and brings the seniority factor with her as well. 

In the WPL, Deepti also captained her franchise, the UP Warriorz, briefly when the then regular captain, Alyssa Healy, was injured. She is just 28 years old and can be considered a long-term captaincy option in the future.

2. Jemimah Rodrigues Jemimah Rodrigues (Source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

The enigmatic Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues will be a great candidate for the captaincy duties after Harmanpreet Kaur. The 25-year-old is one of the most experienced players, especially in the shorter formats, and is a regular member of the squad for the last few years.

As far as captaincy is concerned, she impressed everyone in the WPL 2026, where she was appointed as Delhi Capitals Women’s captain, replacing Meg Lanning.

Jemimah took the side to the final of that season, showcasing her credentials as captain. With age on her side, she can be a solid captaincy option for the Women in Blue.

1. Smriti Mandhana  Smriti Mandhana (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)

The most obvious choice to replace Harmanpreet Kaur as India’s captain will be the current vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. The experienced left-hand batter has a stellar record as captain in the WPL, leading RCB to two titles in 2024 and 2026, respectively.

She also has captained India before as well and became India’s youngest-ever T20I captain when she led for the first time in 2019.

In T20Is, Smriti has led India 18 times and has won 11 of those matches, often filling in the void of Harmanpreet. Whereas in ODIs, she has a 100% record as India captain, winning all four matches. With an established captaincy record, she is the ideal captaincy choice for the Indian team beyond the depature of the Moga-bonr.