India women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down from captaincy across all three formats, bringing an end to her long leadership stint with the national team. She announced the decision on Tuesday through an emotional statement on social media.
The announcement comes shortly after Harmanpreet led India to gold at the 2026 Asian Games. She also captained India to its maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025.
‘This Was Not an Easy Decision’
In her statement, Harmanpreet said stepping down was difficult because her captaincy journey was filled with memories, emotions and sacrifices.
She said she had given her “blood, sweat and time” to the team and often put her personal ambitions aside because she believed the team had to come first.
The 37-year-old took charge of India’s T20I side in 2016 and later became the full-time ODI and Test captain following Mithali Raj’s departure from international cricket.
Difficult Decisions During Captaincy
Harmanpreet also reflected on the difficult calls she had to make as captain. She said not every decision was understood by everyone and some came at a personal cost, but her intention was always to improve the team and give other players opportunities.
Her tenure included several major achievements, most notably India’s historic 2025 ODI World Cup triumph and the Asian Games gold medal.
‘Captaincy Ends, Journey Continues’
Harmanpreet made it clear that stepping down as captain does not mean the end of her international career. She will continue playing for India as a player.
Ending her emotional statement, she said: “Captaincy ends, the journey continues.”
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