Harmanpreet Kaur, the long-standing captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, has officially stepped down from her leadership role across all formats. Her departure marks the end of a highly successful era for the squad, highlighted by India’s maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title win on home soil in 2025. “Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will.
Kaur shared her decision via social media this Tuesday, arriving just two weeks after she successfully guided the team to a gold medal defense at the Asian Games. Reflecting on her tenure, the 37-year-old expressed that while the choice was difficult, she feels the team is currently in a strong position, allowing her to conclude her duties with a sense of peace. She led India to title defence at the Asian Games, thrashing Sri Lanka, just after lifting the Women’s Asia Cup trophy earlier in September, most recently.
Career Leadership Milestones
- T20I Captaincy Tenure: Commenced in 2016, spanning over a decade of leadership.
- Format Expansion: Assumed responsibility for ODI and Test captaincy in 2022.
- Total Matches as Skipper: Led the side in five Tests, 51 ODIs, and 155 T20Is.
- Record Achievement: Became the first cricketer, across men’s and women’s international games, to captain more than 150 T20I matches.
Her storied career with the national side began with her international debut in 2009. Beyond her captaincy duties, Kaur was instrumental in driving the team’s competitiveness on the world stage, reaching the semifinals of the 2018 and 2023 Women’s T20 World Cups and securing a runners-up finish in 2020. As well as finish runners-up in the 2020 edition, the top-order batter helped India reach the semifinals of the 2018 and 2023 Women’s T20 World Cups.
The announcement followed a reported meeting between Kaur and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, where the two discussed the future direction of the women’s program. With the captaincy vacant, observers view Smriti Mandhana, who has served as Kaur’s deputy since 2022, as the leading candidate to succeed her.
Despite relinquishing the armband, Kaur emphasized that her commitment to the sport remains unchanged. She noted that while her time as captain has come to a close, her passion for Indian cricket persists, and she looks forward to continuing her journey as a player.
Important Details
- “This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”.
