'High time' - Diana Edulji urges selectors to make Smriti Mandhana captain across all formats

Smriti Mandhana overtakes Mithali Raj's record — and now the call for captaincy is deafening

Just a day ago in Dubai, Smriti Mandhana etched her name deeper into women's cricket history. A blistering 124 off 64 against Hong Kong at the Women's Asia Cup T20 pushed her career tally to 10,880 international runs, dethroning Mithali Raj's long-standing record of 10,868. Clean, clinical, and exactly the kind of performance that makes you take notes.

But here's where it gets interesting for me as an investor in markets — records create momentum, and momentum creates pressure. Former India star Diana Edulji has now publicly thrown her weight behind Mandhana for the captaincy across all three formats, taking aim at the selection committee under Amita Sharma. Her message was blunt: Smriti's time is now, with Harmanpreet Kaur easing into a senior player role rather than being handed the armband indefinitely.

Let's look at the numbers, because they don't lie:

- 18 international centuries — most ever across ODI, Test & T20I, surpassing Meg Lanning

- First Indian woman with two T20I centuries

- Breakdown: 14 ODI, 2 Test, 2 T20I hundreds

- 93 fifties across formats (tied with Mithali Raj)

A 30-year-old in her prime, accumulating at this pace — this isn't just a milestone, it's a sustained dominance. And when she was asked in July whether she was ready for the captaincy, her answer left zero ambiguity: "Yes, of course, I am ready!"

My read? In markets, you back the asset with the strongest fundamentals and clearest momentum. Mandhana checks both boxes with authority. The question isn't whether she deserves the armband — it's whether selectors have the conviction to back their best performer. The writing's on the wall.

What's your call — Smriti for full captaincy now, or keep Harmanpreet at the helm?

Source: Crictracker