Mumbai, Oct 6:
World Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats, saying she believes it is the right time for a change.
The 37-year-old announced her decision on Tuesday after recently leading India to gold at the 2026 Asian Games. She will continue to remain part of the team and said she took the decision to help the side move forward. Smriti Mandhana is reportedly in line to succeed her across all three formats.
Harmanpreet initially took over as captain on a temporary basis in 2012 and became the full-time skipper in 2016. She led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, winning 92 T20Is and 30 ODIs.
Her biggest achievement came in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, when she guided India to the title on home soil after a remarkable turnaround in the tournament. She also led India to three Asia Cup titles, two Asian Games gold medals and a Commonwealth Games silver.
Harmanpreet’s decision followed a meeting in Guwahati involving vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, head coach Amol Muzumdar and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia to discuss the team’s future plans. Several pundits had also called for a change following India’s recent Asia Cup triumph.
In her statement, Harmanpreet said she had given everything to the team and Indian women’s cricket, often putting her individual ambitions aside. She said she had experienced the heartbreak, criticism and difficult moments as well as the victories and celebrations.
“I feel I have done my duty,” she said, adding that she was stepping down with peace because she believed the team was in a good place with talent, character and a bright future.
“Blood. Sweat. Sacrifice. Pride. I gave it all. Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” Harmanpreet said.