Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain across all formats

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Harmanpreet has captained five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is

Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats with immediate effect, but will continue to play for India.

The 37-year-old, who took charge in T20Is in 2016 and became India’s full-time ODI and Test captain in 2022 after Mithali Raj retired from international cricket, said the decision was not easy.

“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats,” Kaur said in a statement on Instagram.

She said the role carried years of memories, emotions and sacrifices, adding that she was now ready to play for the love of the game again.

Under Kaur’s leadership, India won the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, the 2026 Asia Cup and two successive gold medals at the Asian Games in 2023 and 2026.

Her biggest achievement came in November 2025 when she led India to their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title on home soil after a victory over South Africa in the final.

Kaur became only the third Indian captain, after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni, to win the 50-over World Cup.

She also led India to a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where her 65-run innings was not enough to prevent Australia from winning the final.

Kaur captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. She became the first captain in international cricket, male or female, to lead a side in more than 150 T20Is.

Her record in the shortest format also includes leading India to the semi-finals of the 2018 and 2023 Women’s T20 World Cups and the runners-up position in 2020.

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