At 37, Kaur holds the distinction of being the longest-serving cricket captain, across both men’s and women’s international competitions, to have led a side in more than 150 T20I matches.
India’s long-serving captain of the women’s cricket team, Harmanpreet Kaur, has resigned from the role across all formats, concluding a successful tenure during which she led the South Asian outfit to their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title on home soil in 2025.
Kaur confirmed the decision in a social media statement on Tuesday, arriving two weeks after guiding 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.”
Kaur served as the T20I captain for more than a decade after taking over the role in 2016, later adding ODI and Test captaincy in 2022.
Making her T20I and ODI debuts for India in 2009, Kaur has maintained an illustrious career as skipper.
According to Indian media reports, the decision followed a meeting between Kaur and Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), held to discuss the future direction of the women’s team.
Opening batter Smriti Mandhana, who has served as Kaur’s deputy since 2022, is the frontrunner to succeed her as captain.
Under Kaur’s leadership, India secured their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title in November on home ground.
Most recently, she led India to a title defence at the Asian Games, defeating Sri Lanka decisively, shortly after lifting the Women’s Asia Cup trophy in September.
As a batter, she helped India reach the semifinals of the 2018 and 2023 Women’s T20 World Cups, while finishing as runners-up in the 2020 edition.
Kaur has captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, and remains the first cricketer — male or female — to lead a side in international cricket in more than 150 T20I 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 wrote 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.”
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