SALAR NEWS

‘Done my duty’: Harmanpreet steps down as women’s team captain at 37

Smriti Mandhana is front-runner to take over as the next captain

PTI

https://www.salarnews.in/public/uploads/images/newsimages/maannewsimage06102026_174002_Untitled design - 2026-10-06T173922.581.png

Harmanpreet had led India in a record 155 women's T20Is. She captained India 211 times across all formats (PTI)

New Delhi, 6 Oct

India's only World Cup-winning women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday stepped down from her position in all three formats, saying that she has done her duty as leader and is now "ready to play for the love of the game again."

The 37-year-old's announcement came after a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati to evaluate the team's trajectory in the past few months. Chaired by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was attended by Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar.

Under Harmanpreet, who is widely regarded as one of India's greatest cricketers of all time, the Indian team won its maiden ODI World Cup last year, and recently claimed a second successive gold medal at the Asian Games (T20 format). She also captained India to a silver finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

In all, Harmanpreet led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is.

Mandhana, who has recently been vocal about her ambitions to lead the 'Women in Blue', is the front-runner to take over as the next captain.

"Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team across all formats," Harmanpreet, who has been enduring a lean patch for a while now, wrote in an Instagram post.

"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," added the right-hander, who had earlier spoken about wanting to lead the team till at least the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for which India have already qualified.

Harmanpreet led the Indian T20 side for a decade, taking over as skipper in 2016. She was elevated to ODI captaincy in 2022 before becoming the all-format leader in 2023.

"I feel I have done my duty. I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women's cricket," said the player who hails from Moga in Punjab.

She will, however, continue to play for India across formats.