India women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down from captaincy across all three formats, bringing an end to a decade-long leadership journey with the national team. The 37-year-old announced her decision on Tuesday, October 6, saying she was ready to return to the game purely as a player.
Harmanpreet said the decision was not easy and reflected years of memories, emotions and sacrifices. She added that she leaves the captaincy with a sense of peace and believes the Indian team is in a strong position for the future.
“I feel I have done my duty,” Harmanpreet said in her statement, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to lead Indian women’s cricket. She also made it clear that her international career is not over and that she will continue to represent India as a player.
Harmanpreet first took charge of India’s T20I team in 2016 before becoming the full-time ODI and Test captain in 2022. During her tenure, she captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. She also became the most-capped player in women’s international cricket earlier this year.
The defining achievement of her captaincy came in 2025, when she led India to their first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup title on home soil. India defeated South Africa in the final to claim their maiden 50-over World Cup trophy.
Harmanpreet also guided India to consecutive gold medals at the Asian Games. Most recently, she led the team to victory at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, successfully defending the gold medal won in 2022.
Her decision comes shortly after a BCCI review meeting concerning the future direction of the women’s team. Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar were among those involved in the discussions. Mandhana has been widely reported as the leading candidate to succeed Harmanpreet as captain.
For Harmanpreet, stepping down marks the beginning of a new chapter rather than the end of her journey with Indian cricket.
“Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” she wrote, signalling her intention to continue contributing to the Indian team on the field.
