India, Oct. 7 -- Smriti Mandhana's elevation to the India women's captaincy was widely expected after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from leadership across formats on Tuesday. However, the change at the top reportedly comes after a difficult period behind the scenes, with the relationship between the two senior players believed to have become strained as the captaincy debate unfolded.

According to a report, differences over the leadership role contributed to growing unease within the Indian dressing room, with Mandhana and Harmanpreet reportedly not always seeing eye-to-eye. While the captaincy transition may appear straightforward from the outside, the developments surrounding the two experienced players suggest there was considerably mo...