Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of India’s women’s cricket team across all formats, bringing an end to a decade-long leadership journey. The 37-year-old all-rounder will, however, continue her international career and remain available for India as a player.
Her decision came only days after India retained the women’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. The announcement followed an important review meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Guwahati, marking a significant change for a side that has enjoyed several major successes during Harmanpreet’s tenure.
Harmanpreet took over as India’s T20I captain in 2016. She subsequently spent almost a decade leading the side in the shortest format, becoming one of the most recognisable and experienced leaders in women’s international cricket.
Her responsibilities expanded in 2022, when she was appointed captain of India’s ODI team. From 2023, she took charge across all three formats, including Test cricket. The role placed her at the centre of India’s campaigns in major international tournaments and gave her responsibility for a team undergoing a period of significant growth.
The defining achievement of her captaincy came last November, when India won the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time. The historic triumph ended a long wait for a major ODI title and gave Harmanpreet a place in the country’s cricketing history as the captain who led the women’s side to its first World Cup crown.
Despite relinquishing the captaincy, Harmanpreet has no plans to walk away from international cricket. She announced the decision in an emotional Instagram post, reflecting on the years she spent leading the national side and the experiences that came with the responsibility.
She acknowledged that stepping down was not an easy decision. Her leadership journey, she said, had been shaped by years of memories, emotions and sacrifices, along with moments that would remain with her for the rest of her life.
Her message also made clear that she is looking forward to a different role within the team. Rather than carrying the demands of captaincy, she wants to return to the field with greater freedom and focus on her love for the game.
The change brings a new challenge for Indian women’s cricket. The BCCI will now have to identify a successor capable of taking charge of a team that has recently achieved its biggest ODI success. The new captain will inherit a squad with growing expectations and the added responsibility of building on the foundations established during Harmanpreet’s tenure.
For Harmanpreet, though, the end of her captaincy is not an ending to her cricketing career. She remains an experienced international player whose knowledge of the game and years at the highest level can continue to benefit the Indian side.
After almost ten years of leadership, she will now approach the game from a different perspective. The captain’s responsibilities will be gone, but the opportunity to contribute on the field remains.
Harmanpreet’s legacy will inevitably be linked to India’s historic World Cup triumph, but her decade in leadership represents a much broader chapter in the development of the women’s team. She leaves the captaincy having guided India through different phases of its international journey, while her own story in the national colours continues.