Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as captain of India’s women’s cricket team

India’s long-standing women’s cricket captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, has stepped down from the role across all formats, bringing down the curtain on a successful stint as she led the South Asian team to their first ICC Women’s World Cup title at home in 2025.

Kaur announced her decision in a social media post on Tuesday, two weeks after leading India to a successful defence of their gold medal at the Asian Games.

“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats,” Kaur wrote in an Instagram post.

“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.”

The 37-year-old was the T20 captain for more than a decade after assuming the role in 2016, followed by ODI and Test captaincy in 2022.

Kaur, who made her international T20 and ODI debuts for India in 2009, has had an illustrious career as skipper.

Reports in Indian media said Kaur’s decision came a day after she met Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Indian cricket board (BCCI), ⁠to discuss the future of the women’s team.

Opening batter Smiriti Mandhana, who has been Kaur’s deputy since 2022 and is favourite to take over the captain’s role.

Under her captaincy, India won their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title in November last year on home soil.

Kaur most recently led India to title defence at the Asian Games after thrashing Sri Lanka, just after lifting the women’s Asia Cup trophy earlier in September.

The top-order batter helped India reach the semifinals of the 2018 and 2023 Women’s T20 World Cups, as well as finish runners-up at the 2020 edition.

Kaur has captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, and  is also the first cricketer — man or woman — to captain her side in international cricket in more than 150 T20I games.

“I leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions, but also with peace … because I genuinely believe my team is in a good place,” she continued in her Instagram post. “I feel I have done my duty.

“Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will.

“Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues.”