Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down After Historic Captaincy Era
Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as India women’s cricket captain across all formats, ending a leadership chapter that included the team’s first ODI World Cup title and two Asian Games gold medals.
Abhinav Kumar
10/7/2026
Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down After Historic Captaincy Era
Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all three formats, bringing an important chapter of Indian women’s cricket to a close.
The 37-year-old will continue to play for India, but her decision marks the end of a leadership era that delivered some of the biggest moments in the history of the women’s team.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy comes to an end
Harmanpreet became India’s full-time T20I captain in 2016 and later took charge of the Test and ODI teams in 2022 following Mithali Raj’s retirement from international cricket.
Over the years, she became one of the most experienced captains in international women’s cricket. She led India in Tests, ODIs and T20Is while overseeing a period in which the team regularly competed for major international titles.
Her biggest achievement came in 2025, when India won the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time.
The World Cup that changed the story
India's 2025 World Cup triumph was a defining moment in Harmanpreet's leadership career.
The team defeated South Africa in the final to win its maiden Women's Cricket World Cup title. For Harmanpreet, the victory carried an added significance after years of coming close to a major 50-over title.
She had been part of the Indian side that reached the 2017 World Cup final and later experienced several other near misses in major tournaments.
The 2025 victory finally gave India its first women's 50-over World Cup trophy and made Harmanpreet only the third Indian captain after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni to lead the country to a 50-over World Cup title.
Her captaincy record also included India's silver-medal finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and appearances in the semi-finals of the 2018 and 2023 T20 World Cups.
A strong finish to her leadership career
Harmanpreet's final period as captain brought further success.
India won the Women's Asia Cup in September 2026 before securing another gold medal at the Asian Games. The Asian Games victory gave India back-to-back gold medals in women's cricket after the team had won the event for the first time in 2023.
It meant Harmanpreet's final major assignments as captain ended with more international silverware.
Her leadership journey therefore concluded at a time when Indian women's cricket had established itself as a consistent force across major tournaments.
Why did Harmanpreet step down?
The decision followed a review of the team's future leadership plans.
The Indian Express reported that selectors wanted to begin preparing for the next World Cup cycle and had discussed a transition in leadership.
Harmanpreet's decision allows the team to begin that transition while she remains available as a player.
The move does not mark the end of her international career. Instead, she will continue contributing to the Indian team in a playing role.
Smriti Mandhana takes over
Smriti Mandhana has been appointed India's new captain across formats.
Mandhana has previously served as Harmanpreet's deputy and has considerable leadership experience of her own. She has also captained India in international matches and led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Women's Premier League titles.
Her appointment begins a new phase for the Indian women's team, while Harmanpreet moves into a different role within the squad.
For more than a decade, Harmanpreet has been closely associated with some of the most significant moments in Indian women's cricket. Her leadership included India's first Women's Cricket World Cup title, major tournament runs and multiple international gold medals.
She now leaves the captaincy with that record behind her, but her playing career with India continues.
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