Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team. She will no longer lead the side in any format. The 37-year-old made the announcement on Instagram.
She said the decision was not easy. It brought back years of memories, emotions, and sacrifices. She also made it clear that she is not retiring from cricket. She will continue to play for India. She just wants to play without the pressure of captaincy.
Harmanpreet became the T20I captain in 2016. She held that role for 10 years. She took over as ODI captain in 2022. In 2023, she became the all-format captain. During her time as leader, India won their first ODI World Cup last year. They also won back-to-back Asian Games gold medals in T20 cricket. The latest gold came just recently.
She said she leaves the captaincy with a heart full of emotions but also with peace. She believes the team is in a good place. She feels she has done her duty. She gave everything she had to the team. She said there were moments when she had to put her own game and personal goals aside because the team came first. Some of her decisions were not easy. Some were not understood. But every decision was made to make the team better and help other players grow.
Harmanpreet said she has seen the lowest moments and the highest highs. She has faced criticism and doubt. She has also experienced victories and celebrations. She is grateful for the chance to lead Indian women’s cricket. She thanked her teammates, coaches, support staff, the BCCI, her family, and the fans.
She ended her message by saying that captaincy may end today, but her love for Indian cricket never will. She is ready to play for the love of the game again.
…World Cup Glory, Two Asian Games Golds and Historic Records
Harmanpreet Kaur had two big roles in her career. She was a captain who changed Indian women’s cricket. She was also a player who performed in the biggest moments.
In November 2025, India won their first ODI World Cup. The final was at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. India beat South Africa by 52 runs. Harmanpreet was the captain. She took the winning catch. Nadine de Klerk was the batter. Deepti Sharma was the bowler. That catch sealed the win.
This was a huge moment. Harmanpreet became the first Indian woman to lift a senior World Cup. She was also the third Indian captain overall. Kapil Dev did it in 1983. MS Dhoni did it in 2011. At 36 years and 239 days, she became the oldest captain to win the Women’s World Cup.
Harmanpreet also played a big part with the bat. She scored 260 runs in eight innings. In the semi-final against Australia, she made 89. That was a crucial knock. During the tournament, she became the first player to score over 1,000 World Cup runs while batting at number four or below. She finished with 1,136 runs in World Cups.
Harmanpreet also led India to two Asian Games gold medals. In 2023 at Hangzhou, India played cricket at the Asian Games for the first time. They won gold right away. Harmanpreet returned from a two-match ICC ban to captain the final. India beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs. That was India’s first-ever cricket gold at the Asian Games.
In 2026 at Aichi-Nagoya, India defended their title. They beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. Harmanpreet won the toss and chose to bat. She scored 19 runs. India made 216 for 3. That was the highest team score in women’s T20I cricket at the Asian Games. India then bowled Sri Lanka out for just 69. It was back-to-back golds.
Her record as captain is very strong. She led India in 211 international matches. In T20Is, she won 92 out of 155 matches. That is the most wins by any Indian captain in either white-ball format. In ODIs, she won 30 out of 51 matches. She also won two WPL titles with the Mumbai Indians. She won one World Cup and two Asian Games golds.
FAQs
Q. Has Harmanpreet Kaur retired from cricket?
A. No, Harmanpreet will continue to play for India.
Q. When did Harmanpreet become India’s T20I captain?
A. Harmanpreet became T20I captain in 2016.
Q. When did Harmanpreet become India’s ODI captain?
A. Harmanpreet took over as ODI captain in 2022.
Q. What major title did India win under Harmanpreet?
A. India won their first ODI World Cup last year.
Q. Why did Harmanpreet step down as captain?
A. Harmanpreet wants to continue playing without captaincy pressure.
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