Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all three formats, bringing an end to one of the most influential leadership eras in the history of Indian women’s cricket.
The 37-year-old World Cup-winning captain announced her decision on Tuesday, October 6, bringing the curtain down on a captaincy that began in the shortest format in 2016 and expanded to Tests and ODIs in 2022 following the retirement of legendary captain Mithali Raj.
Kaur leaves the captaincy with a legacy few Indian captains can match. Under her leadership, India achieved the ultimate breakthrough in women’s cricket by winning their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title in 2025, defeating South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai. The victory made Kaur the first and only Indian woman to captain the country to a senior World Cup title. She also became only the third Indian captain, after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni, to lead India to an ODI World Cup triumph.
Her leadership success extended beyond the World Cup. India won two successive Asian Games gold medals, at Hangzhou in 2022 and Aichi-Nagoya in 2026. Kaur also led India to four Asia Cup titles, establishing the side as one of the dominant forces in Asian women’s cricket.
Her captaincy numbers are equally remarkable. Kaur led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20 internationals. Her 155 T20I captaincy appearances are a world record and made her the first cricketer, male or female, to captain a side in more than 150 T20 internationals.
Kaur’s personal records have also placed her among the giants of the women’s game. She became the first Indian cricketer to play 100 and later 200 T20 internationals, while earlier in 2026 she became the most-capped player in women’s international cricket.
Her name is also permanently linked with one of the most extraordinary innings in Women’s World Cup history. During the 2017 World Cup semi-final against Australia, Kaur smashed an unbeaten 171 from just 115 balls, an innings that announced her as one of the most destructive batters in the women’s game.
In the 2025 World Cup, she added another significant record, becoming the leading run-scorer in Women’s ODI World Cup knockout matches, with 331 runs across semi-finals and finals, surpassing Australia’s Belinda Clark.
Yet perhaps Kaur’s greatest achievement was not any individual statistic. She helped change the expectations surrounding Indian women’s cricket. A team that had repeatedly reached the brink of major success finally lifted the biggest trophy under her leadership.
Her decision comes shortly after India successfully defended their Asian Games gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya. Reports indicate that Kaur’s decision followed discussions with the BCCI about the future direction of the women’s team.
Kaur, however, is not retiring from international cricket. She has made it clear that she intends to continue representing India as a player, allowing her to concentrate on batting, contributing to the team and enjoying the game without the responsibility of captaincy.
Her message was one of gratitude rather than regret. She leaves the leadership role believing that the Indian team is in a strong position for the next chapter.
The captaincy may now belong to someone else, but Harmanpreet Kaur’s place in Indian cricket history is secure.
She was the captain who finally took India to the summit of women’s ODI cricket.
The captaincy ends. The journey continues.
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