Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain, ends historic leadership stint

Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team with immediate effect, bringing an end to a decade-long leadership journey that saw her lead India to its first Women’s Cricket World Cup title.

The 37-year-old took charge of India’s T20I side in 2016 before becoming the full-time captain across Tests and ODIs in 2022, following Mithali Raj’s retirement. She leaves the role having established herself among India’s most successful captains across formats.

Kaur’s defining achievement came last year when she led India to their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title on home soil. The triumph made her only the third Indian captain after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni to win a 50-over World Cup.

She subsequently became one of only five Indian captains to have led the country to a World Cup triumph, joining Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, who captained India to T20 World Cup titles in 2024 and 2026 respectively.

Kaur’s captaincy record in T20Is is particularly significant. She led India in 155 matches, becoming the first captain in international cricket, across men’s and women’s cricket, to reach the 150-match mark in the format.

Under her leadership, India reached the semi-finals of the 2018 and 2023 Women’s T20 World Cups and finished runners-up in the 2020 edition after reaching the final.

She also led India to a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Kaur scored 65 in the final against Australia, although India eventually lost the match and had to settle for silver.

Across her captaincy career, Kaur led India in five Tests and 51 ODIs in addition to her record 155 T20Is.

Her final assignment as captain ended with another major achievement, as India secured a second successive gold medal at the Asian Games after their triumph in 2023.

Kaur’s tenure coincided with a period of significant growth for Indian women’s cricket, culminating in the landmark World Cup triumph on home soil. From taking charge of the T20I side in 2016 to lifting the World Cup trophy nearly a decade later, she leaves the captaincy with a record defined by longevity, landmark victories and a number of firsts for Indian cricket.