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Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down as India's Women's Cricket Team Captain
Confirmed
In Short: Harmanpreet Kaur announced her decision to step down as captain of India's women's cricket team across all formats in a social media post on Tuesday.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Harmanpreet Kaur announced her decision to step down as captain of India's women's cricket team across all formats, citing personal reasons.
Kaur, who led India to their first ICC Women’s World Cup title at home in 2025, made her T20I and ODI debuts for India in 2009.
She is the longest-serving cricket captain, among both men and women, to have captained in more than 150 T20I games.
Kaur's captaincy tenure included leading India to victory at the Asian Games 2026, where they defended their gold medal with a thumping 147-run win over Sri Lanka.
The announcement comes after a series of victories under her leadership, including the Asian Games gold medal and the Women’s Asia Cup trophy.
Kaur's leadership style and strategic decisions, such as introducing spinners early in matches, contributed to India's success in international tournaments.
Kaur led India to the semifinals of the 2018 and 2023 Women’s T20 World Cups, and finished runners-up in the 2020 edition.
Opening batter Smriti Mandhana, who has been Kaur’s deputy since 2022, is the favourite to take over the captain’s role.
The BCCI announced on Tuesday that Mandhana has been appointed captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, effective immediately.
Mandhana, who was Harmanpreet’s deputy, has been part of the Indian team since 2013 and has demonstrated her leadership qualities in domestic and franchise cricket.
Mandhana said, “I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian Cricket forward.”
What this adds
The exact personal reasons for Kaur's decision to step down have not been specified in detail.
The BCCI's decision to appoint Mandhana as the new captain was made following a review meeting in Guwahati.
The Indian women's team's next assignment is a series against Zimbabwe starting on October 16.
What's confirmed
- “Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
- Indian media reports said Kaur’s decision came a day after she met Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to discuss the future of the women’s team.
- The 37-year-old is the longest-serving cricket captain, among both men and women, to have captained in more than 150 T20I games.
- Opening batter Smriti Mandhana, who has been Kaur’s deputy since 2022, is the favourite to take over the captain’s role.
- Most recently, she led India to title defence at the Asian Games, thrashing Sri Lanka, just after lifting the Women’s Asia Cup trophy earlier in September.
- Kaur has captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, and is also the first cricketer — male or female — to captain her side in international cricket in more than 150 T20I games.
What's still developing
- Once, Harmanpreet Kaur, captaining the country for the 150th time in T20Is, gauged that the pitch was offering turn, she introduced the spinners right away and got due dividends.
- Harmanpreet Kaur, who became the first international captain (men or women) to lead the country in 150 T20Is, couldn't have been more pleased to find her spinners skittling out Pakistan for 55 in just 18.1 overs -- their lowest-ever total in the shortest format.
- Harmanpreet, who stroked 18 not out, was the highest run-getter in the low-scoring contest.
- Harmanpreet Kaur’s Team India will aim to seal their berth in yet another Women’s Asia Cup semi-finals when they take on Hong Kong in their second Group A match today.
- In a repeat of the 2023 final, the Indian batters put on quite the show, with Smriti Mandhana top-scoring with 79 as India posted a strong 216/3.
- India had already defeated Sri Lanka three years ago in Hangzhou and, more recently, in last week’s Asia Cup final, before making it three wins in a row against them in big-ticket multi-nation finals.
- The win takes India's medal tally to 7, after Suchika Tariyal's MMA bronze and five from shooting.
- In the process, Mandhana added another feather to her already illustrious cap, becoming the first woman to complete 11,000 runs in international cricket, just two days after becoming the lead run-getter in women's T20Is.
- Reports said the decision followed a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati that assessed the team’s performances over recent months, including India’s exit from the T20 World Cup before the semifinals.
- It added that she “has also demonstrated her leadership qualities in domestic and franchise cricket”, most recently leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Women’s Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026.
- India's women's team trounced arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets in the Women's Asia Cup, thanks to exceptional bowling from spinners Shree Charani and Prema Rawat.
- Spinners Shree Charani and Prema Rawat wreaked havoc with the ball as a dominant India trounced Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided match in the Women's Asia Cup in Dubai on Saturday.