A Historic Tenure Comes to an End
Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women's cricket team across all three formats, ending a leadership stint that began in 2016. The 37-year-old announced her decision on Instagram on Tuesday, following a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati that evaluated the team's recent performances. She captained India in five Tests, 51 one-day internationals and 155 T20 internationals, and her final match in charge was the Asian Games final on 22 September, where India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to secure a second consecutive gold medal.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
Harmanpreet's most significant achievement as captain was leading India to their first-ever global women's title at the 2025 50-over World Cup on home soil, where they beat South Africa in the final. She is only the third Indian captain, after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni, to guide a team to victory in that event. Her final Test as captain was a 270-run drubbing of England at Lord's in July, the first women's Test to be held at the ground. However, India exited the T20 World Cup in the group stage earlier in the month, failing to reach the semi-finals for the second successive edition.[S1][S2][S5]
A Personal Decision, A Team in Good Hands
In her Instagram statement, Harmanpreet described the decision as difficult, shaped by years of memories, emotions and sacrifices. She said she had given everything to the team and to Indian women's cricket, including her blood, sweat, time and at times parts of her own game and personal ambitions. She explained that she often put her individual performance and growth aside because she believed the team had to come first, and that as captain she had to make difficult decisions that were not always understood and sometimes came at a personal cost. She added that she leaves the captaincy with a heart full of emotions but also with peace, believing the team is in a good place with talent, character, belief and a future she is excited to watch and be part of.[S1][S2][S3][S5]
Harmanpreet also thanked her teammates, coaches, support staff, team management, the BCCI, her family and fans for supporting her through the highs and lows of her captaincy. She said she feels she has done her duty and carried the responsibility with pride, and that while the captaincy may end today, her love for Indian cricket never will. She stated she is now ready to play for the love of the game again and will continue to represent India as a player across formats. The BCCI has yet to name the next full-time leader, but vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, 30, is expected to take over. India will host Zimbabwe for three T20 internationals and as many ODIs from 16 October before a tour of South Africa in December.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
