Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India women's cricket captain

Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the India women's cricket team across all formats, ending a historic tenure that saw the country lift its first-ever ODI World Cup.

The 37-year-old announced her decision on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, saying she felt she had "done my duty" as leader and was now ready to focus entirely on her own game. Her announcement followed a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) review meeting in Guwahati, which was held to evaluate the team's trajectory over the past few months.

Why Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down

The review meeting in Assam was chaired by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and attended by Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, and head coach Amol Muzumdar. Following those discussions, Kaur took to social media to confirm she was relinquishing the captaincy she has held in various capacities for ten years.

"Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team across all formats," Kaur wrote on Instagram. "This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life."

Kaur explained that she was leaving the role "with a heart full of emotions, but also with peace" because she genuinely believed the squad was in a strong position to move forward.

"Now, I'm ready to play for the love of the game again," she said. "Captaincy ends. The journey continues."

A decade of leadership and World Cup glory

Kaur's departure marks a major transition for the national side. She has been the defining figure of India's leadership since 2016, when she first took over the T20 captaincy. She was subsequently elevated to the ODI captaincy in 2022 and became the all-format leader in 2023.

Her tenure will be remembered for turning India into a regular force on the global stage. Under her guidance, India won their historic maiden ODI World Cup in November 2025 and recently secured a second consecutive Asian Games gold medal in the T20 format.

What happens next for the Indian team

The BCCI has not yet confirmed who will succeed Kaur, though Mandhana, who has long served as her vice-captain, is widely expected to step into the role.

Kaur's decision to continue playing means India will still benefit from her immense experience in the middle order, even as a new era of leadership begins.