Our Bureau
Mumbai
Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all three formats, bringing an end to her long leadership stint after guiding India to historic successes, including their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025 and a second consecutive Asian Games gold medal in 2026.
The 37-year-old announced her decision on social media, describing it as difficult but saying she believed the team was in a strong position for the future. Kaur will continue to represent India as a player across formats.
“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats,” Kaur said in her statement, reflecting on the memories, sacrifices and emotions associated with her time as leader. She added that she felt she had fulfilled her responsibility and was ready to return to playing the game without the burden of captaincy.
Kaur’s decision came shortly after a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati involving officials, head coach Amol Muzumdar and senior players like Smriti Mandhana.
Kaur took charge of India’s T20I side in 2016 before becoming the full-time ODI and Test captain in 2022. During her tenure, she led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, becoming the first cricketer to captain a side in more than 150 T20I matches.
Her defining achievement came in 2025 when India won their first Women’s ODI World Cup, with Kaur becoming the first Indian woman to captain the team to the senior World Cup title. Her final major assignment as captain saw India successfully defend their Asian Games gold in 2026.
While her captaincy chapter has closed, Kaur’s international playing career continues, marking a new phase for one of the most influential figures in Indian women’s cricket.