Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the India Women team. She will no longer lead the side in any format. The announcement came on Tuesday.
Her decision followed a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati. The meeting was chaired by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. Harmanpreet attended it, along with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar. The purpose was to assess the team’s progress over recent months.
Harmanpreet shared the news in a long post on social media. She said it was not an easy decision. She spoke about the years of memories, emotions, and sacrifices that came with the role. She said she gave everything to the team. That included her time, her effort, and sometimes even parts of her own game and personal goals. She believed the team had to come first.
In her final assignment as captain, she led India to a gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. That was a fitting end to her time as leader.
Harmanpreet made it clear that she is not retiring. She said captaincy ends, but the journey continues. She wants to keep playing for India.
Smriti Mandhana is likely to take over as the next captain. She is already the vice-captain. She has also captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two Women’s Premier League titles.
Harmanpreet Kaur Captaincy Records: World Cup, Asian Games, WPL and Asia Cup Titles
Harmanpreet Kaur is the most successful captain in the history of Indian women’s cricket. Her biggest achievement came in November 2025. She led India to their first-ever ODI World Cup title. India beat South Africa by 52 runs in the final in Navi Mumbai. Harmanpreet took the winning catch. She became the first Indian woman to lift a senior World Cup. She was also the third Indian captain overall to do so, after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni.
In the Women’s Premier League, she captained Mumbai Indians to two titles. They won in 2023 and again in 2026.
Harmanpreet also led India to back-to-back gold medals at the Asian Games. In 2023 in Hangzhou, India won their first-ever cricket gold at the Asian Games. They beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs. In 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, India defended the title. They crushed Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.
Harmanpreet also dominated the Asia Cup. She led India to four Women’s T20 Asia Cup titles. These came in 2012, 2016, 2022, and 2026. She is the most successful captain in the tournament’s history.
Her captaincy records are unmatched. She became the first cricketer, male or female, to captain in 150 T20I matches. She has led India to 92 wins in 155 T20Is. That is the most by any skipper in women’s cricket. Overall, she captained India in 211 matches across all formats. She also holds the world record for most T20 finals won as captain, with 10. This broke MS Dhoni’s previous record of 9.
In 2026, she was awarded the Padma Shri. It is one of India’s highest civilian honours. It recognised her historic achievements in cricket.
FAQs
Q. What was Harmanpreet Kaur’s biggest achievement as captain?
A. Harmanpreet led India to their first ODI World Cup title in 2025.
Q. How many Asian Games gold medals did Harmanpreet win as captain?
A. Harmanpreet won two Asian Games gold medals.
Q. How many WPL titles did Harmanpreet win as captain?
A. Harmanpreet won two WPL titles with Mumbai Indians.
Q. How many Women’s T20 Asia Cup titles did Harmanpreet win?
A. Harmanpreet led India to four Asia Cup titles.
Q. How many matches did Harmanpreet captain India in?
A. Harmanpreet captained India in 211 matches across all formats.
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