Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India women's cricket team captain
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Harmanpreet Kaur (Source: ICC)
Published - 06 Oct 2026, 09:32 AM• Read time - 3 mins
Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as Indian women's cricket team captain on Tuesday, October 6. She made the announcement through an Instagram post, reflecting on her journey as the leader.
Harmanpreet recently led India to a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, followed by their successful defence of the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. Her announcement comes a day after she, along with India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar, met BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati to discuss the women's team roadmap.
Harmanpreet made her captaincy debut against Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup 2012 final after regular captain Mithali Raj and vice-captain Jhulan Goswami were both out injured. She guided the team to an 18-run win as India lifted their fifth successive Asia Cup title.
She later assumed full-time leadership of the T20I team in October 2016 and recently etched her name in the record books, becoming the first captain to lead in 150 T20I matches. Harmanpreet also became full-time ODI and Test skipper in 2022 following Mithali Raj's retirement from international cricket.
She will forever be remembered for guiding India to their maiden senior women's ICC title at the Women's World Cup at home in 2025. Announcing her decision, Harmanpreet said she gave her all to the team and leaves it in a good space.
“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. 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,” wrote Harmanpreet in the post.
"There were moments when I had to put my individual performance, my own growth, and what I wanted for myself aside, because I believed the team had to come first. As a captain, I have had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes came at a personal cost. But every decision I made was with one intention - to make this TEAM better and to give other players the opportunity to grow, believe in themselves and become the best versions of themselves," she added.
Harmanpreet's captaincy record
Harmanpreet is the most successful T20I captain in history, having led India in a world-record 155 T20Is and guided them to victory in 92 matches. She also captained the side in 51 ODIs, winning 30 matches, and took the team to victory in four of five Test matches as captain, including a win in the first-ever women's Test at Lord's earlier this year.
Having relinquished captaincy, she will continue to play as a regular player in the team.