Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India women's cricket team captain after World Cup, Asian Games glory

India women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday stepped down as captain across all formats, ending her long stint as the leader of the national side.

Calling it a difficult decision, Harmanpreet said her decision to give up the India captaincy carried years of memories, emotions and sacrifices.

"This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices," Harmanpreet said in a statement announcing her decision on Instagram.

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Harmanpreet has been one of the key figures in Indian women's cricket for more than a decade. She took over as India's T20I captain in 2016 and went on to lead the team across formats.

Her tenure included some of the biggest moments in the recent history of India women's cricket. She led India to their first senior Women's ODI World Cup title in 2025 and captained the side to a second successive Asian Games gold medal in 2026.

Harmanpreet also reached several individual milestones during her captaincy. She became the most-capped player in women's international cricket in February 2026 and was the first cricketer to reach 200 women's T20I appearances.

In her statement, Harmanpreet said she had often put the team's interests ahead of her own ambitions.

"I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket — my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions. There were moments when I had to put my individual performance, my own growth, and what I wanted for myself aside, because I believed the team had to come first," she said.

The 37-year-old said captaincy had required her to take decisions that were not always easy or understood by everyone.

Also Read: Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first cricketer to captain in 150 T20Is

"As a captain, I have had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes came at a personal cost. But every decision I made was with one intention - to make this TEAM better and to give other players the opportunity to grow, believe in themselves and become the best versions of themselves," Kaur wrote.

Looking back at her time as India women's captain, Harmanpreet said she had experienced both difficult periods and major successes. "I have seen it all. I have seen the lowest moments, the heartbreak, the criticism, the doubts and the days when nothing seemed to go our way. And I have also experienced the highest highs - the victories, the celebrations, the pride of representing our country, and the moments that made every sacrifice worth it."

Harmanpreet said she was leaving the India captaincy with mixed emotions but believed the team was in a strong position for the future.

"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. A team with talent, character, belief and a future that I am incredibly excited to watch and be a part of," Harmanpreet said.

She said she believed she had fulfilled her responsibility as captain and was ready to focus on playing again. "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. Now, it is time for me to turn the page."

Harmanpreet also made it clear that stepping down as captain does not mean walking away from Indian cricket.

"Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will. Thank you to every teammate, coach, support staff, management , BCCI , family members every single fan who stood by me through the highs and lows. Blood. Sweat. Sarifice. Pride. I gave it all Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues," Kaur concluded.