Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of India’s women’s cricket team across all formats, ending a leadership tenure that included the country’s maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph.
The 37-year-old announced the decision with immediate effect on Tuesday, but said she would continue playing for India.
“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats,” Kaur said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“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.”
Kaur became India’s T20 captain in 2016 and took charge of the ODI and Test teams in 2022 after the retirement of Mithali Raj.
Her biggest achievement came last year when she led India to their first Women’s Cricket World Cup title, with the hosts defeating South Africa in the final on home soil in November.
Kaur became only the third Indian captain after Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to win a 50-over World Cup. She is also among five Indian captains to have won a World Cup, alongside Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, who led India to T20 World Cup titles in 2024 and 2026 respectively.
Her final assignment as captain ended with India winning their second successive Asian Games gold medal this year, following their triumph in 2022.
Kaur captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20 internationals. She became the first captain in international cricket to lead a team in more than 150 T20Is.
Her tenure also included a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, a runners-up finish at the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup and semi-final appearances at the 2018 and 2023 editions.
“Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” Kaur said.
