Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down as India Women’s Captain Across All Formats

Harmanpreet Kaur has announced her decision to step down as the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the 37-year-old said the decision was not easy, but she believes her responsibility as a leader has been fulfilled. Reflecting on her journey, Harmanpreet said she had faced several challenges, criticism and difficult moments while always putting the team’s interests ahead of her personal ambitions.

Harmanpreet, however, made it clear that her cricketing journey is far from over and that she intends to continue playing as a cricketer. She thanked her teammates, coaches, support staff, management, BCCI and family for standing by her throughout her leadership career. She first led India on an interim basis in 2012 and became the full-time captain in 2016. Under her leadership, India played five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, while recently celebrating major achievements, including the ODI World Cup title and a second consecutive Asian Games gold.