Guwahati: Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain who led India to their first-ever women’s ODI World Cup title, has stepped down as captain across all formats. The 37-year-old announced her decision on social media on Tuesday morning, hours before the BCCI named Smriti Mandhana as her successor.
An emotional farewell to the armband
“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats. This is not an easy decision,” Harmanpreet wrote. “I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket — my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions.”
She confirmed she will continue playing: “Captaincy ends. The journey continues. Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again.”
A legacy in numbers
Harmanpreet’s captaincy record is formidable: 5 Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is as skipper. Under her, India won their maiden 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2025, four T20 Asia Cup titles and two Asian Games gold medals, most recently at Aichi-Nagoya. She also became the highest-capped player in women’s international cricket earlier this year.
Why now?
The decision followed a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati on Monday, chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia and attended by Harmanpreet, vice-captain Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar. Reports suggest the board wants to build towards the next World Cup cycle after India’s second straight group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in June.
What next
Harmanpreet remains available as a player, and her experience will be vital in the dressing room during the transition. The BCCI publicly acknowledged her “leadership and contribution to Indian cricket” — a fitting tribute to a transformative tenure.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
