Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India women's team captain across all formats
Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of the Indian women's cricket team across all three formats on Tuesday. She said she had done her duty as leader and was ready to play for the love of the game again.
The announcement followed a review meeting of the women's team held by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in Guwahati on Monday. The meeting, chaired by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, was attended by Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar, PTI reported.
"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," Harmanpreet said in a long statement posted on her Instagram account. "I leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions, but also with peace," she added, in the statement reported by The Indian Express.
Harmanpreet, 37, first led India in a T20 Asia Cup match against Pakistan in Guangzhou in 2012. She took charge of the format full time in 2016, according to Hindustan Times. She became the full-time ODI captain in 2022 after Mithali Raj retired from international cricket, and the all-format leader in 2023, the ICC said.
She led India in 211 international matches, five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, The Indian Express reported. India won 30 of the 51 matches under her in the 50-over format, Hindustan Times reported.
Her biggest achievement came in November 2025, when India won their maiden Women's World Cup under her, beating South Africa in the final after defeating Australia in the semifinal. She is the third Indian captain to win the 50-over World Cup, after Kapil Dev and M S Dhoni.
The team also won a second successive Asian Games gold in cricket at Aichi-Nagoya this year, and a record eighth Asia Cup title weeks before that, Hindustan Times reported.
Cricbuzz reported that the Guwahati review meeting was held after calls for Harmanpreet's removal as captain. Gulf News reported that Smriti Mandhana is likely to be her successor.
Harmanpreet said she would remain available for India in all formats. "Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will," she said.
(With inputs from PTI)
