Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup and a second Asian Games gold, resigned the captaincy on Tuesday and said she wants to play on.
Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of India’s women’s team in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, announcing the decision in an Instagram post on Tuesday morning, ESPNcricinfo reported. She is 37 and had led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is.
Her last act as captain was defending Asian Games gold in Nisshin last month. Under her, India won a first Women’s ODI World Cup at home in November 2025 and the Women’s Asia Cup earlier in September, Al Jazeera reported.
The decision came a day after Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar met BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati to discuss the team’s roadmap. She wrote that the choice was not easy and that she was leaving the role with the team in a good place, ready to play for the love of the game.
Al Jazeera said Mandhana, deputy since 2022, is the favourite to succeed her. No board appointment had been announced in the reports used here.
The resignation closes the longest recent leadership spell in Indian women’s cricket without ending her playing career, which both outlets said she intends to continue.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Harmanpreet Kaur wrote that she was leaving the captaincy with peace because the team is in a good place.
- She said captaincy may end but her love for Indian cricket will not.