‘Done my duty’: Harmanpreet steps down as Indian women’s cricket captain

The ۳۷-year-old is the longest-serving cricket captain, among both men and women, to have captained in more than ۱۵۰ T۲۰I games.

India’s long-serving captain of the women’s cricket team, Harmanpreet Kaur, has stepped down from the role across all formats, bringing down the curtain on a successful stint as she led the South Asian team to their first ICC Women’s World Cup title at home in ۲۰۲۵.

Kaur announced her decision in a social media post on Tuesday, two weeks after leading India to a successful defence of their gold medal at the Asian Games.

“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats,” she 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.”

The ۳۷-year-old was the Twenty۲۰ captain for more than a decade after assuming the role in ۲۰۱۶, followed by ODI and Test captaincy in ۲۰۲۲.

Kaur, who made her T۲۰I and ODI debuts for India in ۲۰۰۹, has had an illustrious career as skipper.

Indian media reports said Kaur’s decision came a day after she met Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), ⁠to discuss the future of the women’s team.

Opening batter Smriti Mandhana, who has been Kaur’s deputy since ۲۰۲۲, is the favourite to take over the captain’s role.

Under Kaur’s captaincy, India won their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title in November last year on home soil.

Most recently, she led India to title defence at the Asian Games, thrashing Sri Lanka, just after lifting the Women’s Asia Cup trophy earlier in September.

The top-order batter helped India reach the semifinals of the ۲۰۱۸ and ۲۰۲۳ Women’s T۲۰ World Cups, as well as finish runners-up in the ۲۰۲۰ edition.

Kaur has captained India in five Tests, ۵۱ ODIs and ۱۵۵ T۲۰Is, and is also the first cricketer — male or female — to captain her side in international cricket in more than ۱۵۰ T۲۰I games.

“I leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions, but also with peace … because I genuinely believe my team is in a good place,” she said in her Instagram post. “I feel I have done my duty.

“Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will.

“Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues.”