Harmanpreet Kaur Resigns as Captain of Indian Women's Cricket Team

Harmanpreet Kaur has announced her resignation as captain of the Indian women's cricket team across all formats. After a decade of leadership, she expressed her readiness to return to playing for the love of the game. This decision follows a BCCI review meeting aimed at evaluating the team's recent performance. Under her captaincy, India achieved significant milestones, including winning its first ODI World Cup and a second consecutive gold at the Asian Games. Harmanpreet leaves her role with a heart full of emotions but believes the team is in a strong position moving forward.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 6, 2026, 12:04 IST

Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down from Captaincy

On Tuesday, Harmanpreet Kaur, the long-time captain of the Indian women's cricket team, announced her resignation from the captaincy across all formats. She expressed her readiness to return to playing for the sheer joy of the sport.

This decision followed a review meeting held by the BCCI in Guwahati, which aimed to assess the team's performance over recent months. The meeting, led by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, included Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, and head coach Amol Muzumdar.

At 37, Harmanpreet has been at the helm of the Indian T20 team for ten years, having taken on the role in 2016. She was appointed as the ODI captain in 2022 and became the leader for all formats in 2023.

In her Instagram post, she stated, "Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats."

Reflecting on her journey, she mentioned, "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."

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

Under her leadership, India secured its first ODI World Cup in November last year and recently achieved a second consecutive gold medal in the T20 format at the Asian Games. She expressed her departure from captaincy with a mix of emotions but also a sense of peace, stating, "Because I genuinely believe my team is in a good place."