India’s World Cup-winning captain has stepped down from the leadership of the national women’s team across all three formats, bringing one of the longest and most successful captaincy tenures in Indian cricket to an end. The 37-year-old announced her decision on October 6, days after leading India to a second successive women’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. She has made clear that she is not retiring from international cricket and intends to continue representing India as a player. Reuters

Her resignation followed a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati attended by secretary Devajit Saikia, head coach Amol Muzumdar and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. The Board has not yet named the next full-time captain. Hindustan Times

Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down: What She Said About Leaving the Captaincy

In her announcement, Harmanpreet Kaur described the decision as difficult because of the memories, sacrifices and emotions connected with leading India. She said she was leaving the role with peace because she believes the team is in a strong position and added that she is now ready to return to playing simply for her love of cricket. The ICC subsequently confirmed that her resignation applies to all formats with immediate effect. 

The decision ends a leadership journey that stretched across more than a decade. She first captained India in a T20 match against Pakistan at the 2012 Asia Cup. She became India's regular T20I captain in 2016, took over the ODI side after Mithali Raj's retirement in 2022 and subsequently became the full-time all-format skipper. 

Harmanpreet's captaincy record

Hindustan Times reports that India's 92 T20I wins under her are the most achieved by any Indian captain in that format, while Reuters confirms that she led the national side in 211 international matches overall. 

Why Is She Stepping Down Now?

Her resignation comes at an interesting point rather than after a run of poor results. The Indian women cricket team won the 2025 ODI World Cup on home soil under her leadership, ending India's long wait for a senior women's world title. The side then added the 2026 Women's Asia Cup and successfully defended its Asian Games cricket crown in Japan. BCCI

That makes the timing significant.

Rather than being forced out immediately after a major tournament defeat, she is leaving the captaincy following a successful period. Reuters reported that the decision came after discussions around the future direction of the team, while her own statement stressed that she believes the side is ready for its next phase. She also remains available as a batter, meaning the change is about leadership succession rather than the end of her playing career.

The 2025 World Cup Remains Her Biggest Captaincy Achievement

The defining result of her captaincy came in November 2025 when India won its first ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. India defeated South Africa in the final at the DY Patil Stadium, completing a breakthrough that had eluded the women's team despite deep runs in previous global tournaments. The BCCI described the victory as India's maiden women's ODI World Cup title. 

Earlier in her career, she had been central to India's run to the 2017 World Cup final, particularly through her famous unbeaten 171 against Australia in the semifinal. But lifting the trophy as captain eight years later transformed her leadership legacy. In a BCCI column before the 2026 T20 World Cup, she said the 2025 triumph had given the side belief and that the team's ambition was to make winning a habit. BCCI

That philosophy carried into 2026.

Asian Games Gold Followed Another Asia Cup Title

India's latest Asian Games campaign provided the final trophy of her captaincy tenure. The women's team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final, with Smriti Mandhana scoring 79 as India posted 216/3 before dismissing Sri Lanka for 69. It was India's second consecutive women's cricket gold at the Asian Games. Only days earlier, India had also completed an unbeaten run to the Women's Asia Cup title in Dubai.

The BCCI said India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final to win the competition for a record eighth time. Mandhana and Shafali Verma shared a 129-run opening partnership before India's bowlers completed the victory. These victories mean the captaincy change comes immediately after one of the most successful stretches in the team's recent history.

Is Smriti Mandhana the Next India Captain?

Not officially. This is the most important point to keep clear as speculation grows around the next skipper. Smriti Mandhana has been India's vice-captain and was present at the BCCI review meeting in Guwahati, making her an obvious candidate for the role. Hindustan Times says she stands as a strong possibility, while other reports have described her as the frontrunner. 

But the BCCI has not announced her appointment. Other senior players may also enter the leadership discussion, and the selectors could theoretically choose different captains for different formats. Until a formal squad announcement or BCCI statement confirms the succession plan, Mandhana should therefore be described as a likely candidate rather than India's new captain.

What the Change Means for the Indian Women Cricket Team

The transition comes at a time when India's women's setup has significantly more depth than when Harmanpreet first became T20 captain in 2016. Players including Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma and several newer bowlers have accumulated experience through international cricket and the Women's Premier League.

The Indian women cricket team also now enters tournaments carrying expectations shaped by the 2025 World Cup win rather than simply trying to reach its first global title.

That creates a different challenge for the next captain.

The incoming leader will inherit a successful side but will also need to manage a transition involving several senior players while building towards future ICC tournaments and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where cricket will return to the programme.

Harmanpreet Remains One of Women's Cricket's Most Experienced Players

Stepping down does not remove one of India's most experienced cricketers from the dressing room. Earlier in 2026, she became the most-capped woman in international cricket, surpassing New Zealand's Suzie Bates. Reuters reported that she reached the milestone with her 356th international appearance in February. 

She then became the first player in women's cricket to reach 200 T20 internationals during the 2026 T20 World Cup. icc 

That experience could be particularly valuable during the transition to a new captain. Former captains continuing as senior players is not unusual in international cricket, and her statement suggests she intends to focus more directly on batting and contributing without the day-to-day responsibility of leadership.

A Tenure That Changed Expectations

When Harmanpreet assumed regular T20 leadership in 2016, India were still searching for their first senior women's global title. By the time she stepped down, they had won the ODI World Cup, consecutive Asian Games gold medals and multiple continental titles. Her tenure also coincided with major structural growth in women's cricket in India, including the launch of the Women's Premier League and a substantial rise in the visibility of the national side.

There were disappointments as well. India lost major knockout matches during her captaincy and fell short in several ICC tournaments before eventually winning the World Cup.

But the final phase of her tenure changed the record. Harmanpreet Kaur leaves the captaincy after 211 international matches as leader, with India's first women's ODI World Cup among her achievements and with the team coming off Asia Cup and Asian Games titles.

The immediate question now shifts to the BCCI: whether it hands the entire leadership role to one player or begins a split-captaincy transition across formats. For now, the only confirmed succession news is that no replacement has been formally named. Harmanpreet's captaincy has ended, but her international playing career continues.