BCCI president Mithun Manhas said Harmanpreet Kaur will mentor new captain Smriti Mandhana. The board wants a senior player to guide the team during this transition. Manhas noted, “I have always believed that the baton should be passed on when you have somebody senior around to guide them.” It helps.
When MS Dhoni decided to step down as the captain of the Indian men's team, Virat Kohli was ready to take over over the reins. Even after stepping down as the skipper of the side, Dhoni stayed on to mentor Kohli in the role, often seen helping him with field placements, DRS calls, and bringing on bowlers. This is the same trend that BCCI wants to see with the captaincy transition happening with the women's team.
Recently, Harmanpreet Kaur handed over the captaincy to Smriti Mandhana after a successful tenure, with the opener's first assignment being the series against Zimbabwe at home. However, Harmanpreet remains a part of the squad, something that BCCI president Mithun Manhas is happy to see.
Speaking to Sportstar, Manhas said that the baton of captaincy should always be handed over to the next candidate with a senior figure still being around the side.
“I have always believed that the baton should be passed on when you have somebody senior around to guide them,” he said. “Because captaincy is not easy, no matter how experienced you are.”
Manhas then traced the success that the men's team has achieved following the same trend. When Dhoni took over, he had Sourav Ganguly to help him out. Dhoni then did the same for Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Now the duo are helping Shubman Gill settle into his role as skipper.
'HARMANPREET WILL BE AN ASSET FOR SMRITI'
Manhas feels that Harmanpreet will come in as an asset when Mandhana finds herself being stuck in situations.
“There will be situations when you have to make decisions and you are confused. So, I think Harmanpreet will be an asset for Smriti,” Manhas said.
Manhas sidestepped a direct explanation of Mandhana’s appointment, choosing instead to highlight the backing she would receive from the team’s support system.