06 October,2026 03:59 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Harmanpreet Kaur. Pic/BCCI
Team India's star player Harmanpreet Kaur announced her decision to step down from the captaincy role with immediate effect after more than a decade of leading the team in the role.
Following the decision, she shared a post on her official social media handle.
"Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team across all formats. 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. Now, I'm ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues," Harmanpreet posted on Instagram.
After a temporary stint in 2012, she took over the T20I captaincy in 2016 and later became all-format skipper in 2022 after former captain Mithali Raj's departure.
The announcement came after a review meeting held by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Guwahati. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, head coach Amol Muzumdar, Harmanpreet, and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana attended the meeting.
Harmanpreet's tenure was defined by historic wins and monumental moments that defined India's modern era of women's cricket.
1. India's maiden ODI World Cup triumph
Harmanpreet led Team India to a maiden ODI World Cup triumph in 2025. India defeated South Africa in the final to seal a famous win at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The win was a signal of India's dominance on the global stage, as the winning run included a thrilling semi-final win against multiple-time World Champions Australia.
2. Four Asia Cup wins
Team India were the undisputed champions of the continent under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur.
Under Kaur, India won the Asia Cup in 2012, 2016, 2022 and 2026, making her India's most successful captain in the tournament.
3. Back-to-back Asian Games medals
Another significant achievement of Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy was leading India to consecutive Asian Games medals.
India won the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and followed it up with a triumph at the Tokyo Asian Games in 2026.
4. Test match victory at Lord's
India won the historic one-off Test match at Lord's against hosts England by a big margin of 270 runs, to cement their place among the red-ball elites.
