Smriti Mandhana named India captain in all three formats for South Africa tour
The BCCI named Smriti Mandhana captain in Tests, ODIs and T20Is for India women's seven-match tour of South Africa in December.
Written with AI assistance from the sources listed below, then checked against them and reviewed by an editor. How our newsroom works
Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s captain in all three formats for the women’s tour of South Africa in December 2026, after the BCCI Women’s Selection Committee announced the squads on Monday 9 November, Free Press Journal reported in an ANI feed. The BCCI Women’s account said on X, “Smriti Mandhana takes charge as full-time Test captain.”
Smriti Mandhana captain, with Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma as deputies
Deepti Sharma is vice-captain in the Test and ODI squads. Shafali Verma holds that role in the T20I squad. The Sunday Guardian described the move as Mandhana taking over Test captaincy from Harmanpreet Kaur, who is named as a player in all three squads, according to that report.
Key numbers
- 7: matches on the tour, made up of one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is.
- 15: players each in the Test and ODI squads.
- 17: players in the T20I squad.
- 9 to 30 December: the span of the tour, from the Test in Gqeberha to the last T20I.
South Africa tour schedule and venues
A one-off Test opens the tour on 9 December in Gqeberha. ODIs follow in Paarl on 16 December, Cape Town on 19 December and Bloemfontein on 22 December. According to the Sunday Guardian, the ODI series is part of the ICC Women’s Championship.
Free Press Journal said the T20Is begin on 26 December in Benoni and finish with two matches in Potchefstroom on 29 and 30 December. The Sunday Guardian added that they are part of preparations for the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in February 2027.
Squad changes across formats
Mandhana leads a 15-player Test group of Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma (vice-captain), Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Jintimani Kalita and Sayali Satghare.
The ODI group is almost the same, except that Vaishnavi Sharma takes Sneh Rana’s place. Yastika Bhatia is named second wicketkeeper alongside Richa Ghosh in both.
Seventeen players make up the T20I squad, which adds names missing from the longer formats, including Niki Prasad, G Kamalini, Anushka Sharma, Prema Rawat, Amanjot Kaur, Renuka Singh Thakur and Arundhati Reddy. Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol miss out on the T20Is. Neither report gives selectors’ reasons or quotes from officials.
What happens next
The one-off Test on 9 December opens the tour, and the T20Is close it on 30 December. Neither report says when the squads will assemble. For wider coverage, see our India pages.
The announcement sets the leadership for a seven-match tour that starts with a one-off Test on 9 December. Neither report gives the selectors' reasons.