Krunal Pandya leads India squad at Hong Kong Sixes 2026 tournament; Bhuvneshwar Kumar excluded from team

Smriti Mandhana, whose cricket career began in the streets of Sangli, has now become the captain of the Indian women's national team. Her father, Srinivasan Mandhana, expressed immense happiness over this award, and his eyes filled with tears of joy while recalling his daughter's achievements.

The BCCI entrusted Smriti with this responsibility after Harmanpreet Kaur decided to step down as captain. Smriti will now lead the team. Following the announcement, Smriti Mandhana's father shared his joy and expressed complete confidence in his daughter. He believes that Smriti can lead the Indian team to victory in the T20 World Cup.

After becoming captain, Smriti's father shared his optimism. He expressed confidence that Smriti would handle this duty brilliantly, asserting that she would lead the Indian team to victory in the T20 World Cup. This moment was extremely special for the father when his daughter took charge of the Indian women's team. Joy was evident on Smriti's face, and she shed tears of emotion while reflecting on her journey.

Smriti Mandhana has achieved significant success in cricket since an early age. She holds the record for the most runs scored in women's cricket. Her play and achievements have made her one of the leading figures in Indian women's cricket. The new role of captain is another important milestone in her career. The BCCI believed in Smriti after Harmanpreet Kaur decided to leave the captaincy. Smriti's father considers this a great achievement for her and hopes she will continue to bring glory to the country, receiving well wishes from many people.

Smriti's journey was not limited to just becoming a player. The daughter of Sangli, who played cricket in the streets, gradually gained recognition and reached the national team level. Now she will lead that very Indian team in which she has achieved numerous successes in her cricket career. Seeing her daughter's success, her father experienced touching emotions and felt proud, recalling Smriti's struggles and achievements. A new challenge now awaits Smriti as captain. Her father is confident that she will fulfill this duty completely and make the country proud by taking the Indian women's team to the T20 World Cup. The announcement of Smriti Mandhana's captaincy brought joy not only to her family but also to the fans.

Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar finally had the opportunity to return to the T20 squad after a four-year break. He was included in the team for the T20 series against New Zealand.

Bhuvneshwar played for India in all three formats, but his last T20 match was against New Zealand in November 2022. Now he will be back in the squad to demonstrate his abilities after a long absence.

As soon as the BCCI announced the Indian squad for the tour of New Zealand, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's name appeared on the list, his wife Nupur Nagar experienced immense joy just a few hours later. She shared a repost of the BCCI's squad announcement post on her Instagram account, accompanying it with a word of gratitude. This post by Nupur is actively being shared on social media.

Return thanks to IPL

This success for Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not accidental. He made a strong impression with his performance in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bhuvneshwar participated in all 16 matches of the tournament this year, taking a total of 28 wickets, which made him the second-best wicket-taker of the season.

In the current series, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is resting, so the main responsibility for the bowling attack under Shreyas Iyer's leadership will fall on Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh. Furthermore, according to available information, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also included in the plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which may give him a chance to play in upcoming ODI series.

Changes have occurred in the leadership of Indian women's cricket: following Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana has been appointed as the new permanent captain of the Indian team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Smriti's appointment on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a new era of captaincy in Indian women's cricket.

Smriti has long been one of the key figures in the Indian squad. Now, in addition to the responsibility of leading the game, she is also tasked with leading the team. She will be the permanent captain of India in both ODI and T20 International formats.

Captaincy is not entirely new experience for Smriti; she previously captained India in 18 T20 Internationals and 4 ODIs. However, this is the first time she has been entrusted with leading the team in both white-ball formats on a regular basis.

Having played for India since 2013, Smriti has extensive experience in international cricket and has gone through many important stages of the team. As the team enters a new phase, the BCCI has entrusted her with the responsibility of leadership.

One of the most significant factors in favor of Smriti is her track record in franchise cricket. She helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the Women's Premier League title in 2024 and 2026.

Thus, before taking charge of the Indian national team, Smriti had already achieved championship success as a captain at a major arena. This experience will now be useful in working with the national team.

The most important point in Smriti's statement was that after receiving the captaincy, she first remembered Harmanpreet Kaur's contribution. She noted that Harmanpreet led the team with complete dedication for many years and was an important part of the journey of the Indian team.

Smriti stated: 'Receiving the responsibility to lead India is a great honor. Representing India has always meant a lot to me, and the opportunity to lead the team is a responsibility I deeply value.' She also thanked the BCCI, selectors, teammates, and everyone who supported her along the way.

Smriti expressed gratitude to Harmanpreet, acknowledging the importance of her role in the leadership and the team's journey. Smriti understands that serious tasks lie ahead. Indian women's cricket has been constantly evolving in recent years, and now the team must maintain this momentum.

On one hand, Smriti must fulfill her duties as a batter, and on the other, as captain, she will be responsible for the team composition, player utilization, and decision-making in crucial matches.

BCCI Chairman Nitin Manhas congratulated Smriti, noting that she has played an important role in Indian cricket for many years and consistently demonstrated the qualities required for leadership. He expressed the board's confidence in Smriti's experience and understanding of the game.

BCCI Honorary Secretary Devdjit Saikia also highly praised Smriti's leadership qualities. He emphasized that Smriti is among the most experienced players in India, and her success as captain of RCB is an example of her leadership abilities.

After a long period of captaincy by Harmanpreet Kaur, the leadership of Indian women's cricket has passed to Smriti Mandhana. She possesses both international experience and championship success as a WPL captain.

Now, the real story is how far Smriti can take the Indian team using her success as RCB captain. The face of captaincy in Indian women's cricket has changed, and a new chapter for the Indian team will be written in the name of Smriti Mandhana.

Following the change of captain in Indian women's cricket, the first squad of the Indian team under Smriti Mandhana was announced. The Women's Selection Committee announced the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 and ODI series against Zimbabwe. Smriti Mandhana will captain in both formats, while Harmanpreet Kaur will remain in the squad as a player.

The T20 series will be held in Raipur, and the ODI series will be hosted in Vadodara. This will be the first major event for the Indian team under Smriti's leadership after the captaincy change.

Smriti has taken charge in both formats. Shafali Verma is the vice-captain in the T20 team, and Dipti Sharma has taken this role in the ODI team. Thus, the selectors have clearly defined the new leadership structure. Smriti is now the permanent captain of the team, Shafali is her deputy in T20, and Dipti Sharma is the vice-captain in ODI.

Harmanpreet is in the squad, but the captaincy has gone to others. This change clearly demonstrates the end of one phase of leadership in Indian women's cricket and the beginning of another.