Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as India women’s captain across Tests, ODIs and T20Is after about a decade in charge, saying she has done her duty. The World Cup-winning skipper will keep playing for India, with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana seen as the likely successor.
The news came in Harmanpreet’s own words, in a statement on Instagram on Tuesday. “Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats,” she wrote. “This is not an easy decision.” She is 37, and she said she is now ready to play for the love of the game again.
A decade at the helm
Harmanpreet led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. She took over the full-time ODI and Test captaincy in 2022 after Mithali Raj’s retirement, and her time as captain spanned roughly ten years in total. Reports said the announcement followed a review meeting in Guwahati with head coach Amol Muzumdar and Mandhana present.
The title that defined it
The defining moment of her captaincy came in November 2025, when she led India to their first Women’s World Cup title, on home soil. She also captained the side to Asian Games gold, giving her tenure two major trophies in under a year.
Tributes followed quickly. Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and opener Shafali Verma were among those who praised her leadership on social media.
What comes next
Harmanpreet has said she will continue as a player in all formats. “Captaincy ends,” she wrote. “The journey continues.” No official successor has been announced. Mandhana, vice-captain since 2022, is widely regarded as the frontrunner, but the appointment rests with the BCCI, and no decision has been confirmed.
For Indian women’s cricket, the handover comes with a World Cup-winning squad in place and a senior figure who has chosen to stay in it.
