Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as India women’s captain across all formats, bringing an end to a successful leadership stint that included some of the biggest achievements in the team’s history.
Harmanpreet, head coach Amol Muzumdar and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana met BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati for a review meeting on Monday. The captaincy change comes after Harmanpreet led India to the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup title and the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup and back-to-back Asian Games gold medals.
She announced her decision through a heartfelt message on Instagram. Under her captaincy, India also secured their first Test victory over Australia in 2023 and their first bilateral ODI series win in England since 1999.
Harmanpreet’s biggest moment came in 2025 when she captained India to their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title. A year later, India added another Asia Cup trophy, beating Sri Lanka in the final to claim a record-extending eighth title.
Mandhana now appears the natural candidate to take over. The India opener has already established herself as a leader with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, guiding them to the Women’s Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026.
With Mandhana’s batting experience and growing leadership record, the 29-year-old could now be handed the responsibility of leading India across formats and taking the team into its next phase.
