‘I have done my duty’: Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain
New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Indian women’s ODI World Cup winning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down from captaincy across all formats after serving as the full-time T20I captain since 2018 and as the ODI captain since 2022, having taken over the reins from the legendary Mithali Raj.
“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats. 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 wrote on Instagram.
“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.
“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,” she added.
She etched her name in history books by becoming the first female skipper to lead the Indian team to a maiden senior ICC World Cup title by defeating South Africa on home soil.
“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,” Kaur wrote.
Harman also led the side to a record four Asia Cup titles as captain in 2012, 2016, 2022, 2026 and also guided the team to consecutive gold medals at the Asian Games, finishing on top of the podium in Hangzhou 2022 and Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
“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. 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.
“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,” she concluded.
Harman’s other major notable achievements as captain include leading India to their first bilateral Women’s ODI series win on English soil since 1999, when the team clinched a historic win in 2022.
She also commanded the team to a historic Test match win against Australia in 2023 and a breakthrough T20I series victory against England in 2025.
She also surpassed leading men’s captains like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to become the first cricketer to captain a side in 150+ T20I matches. Under her leadership, the team defeated England by 270 runs in the first-ever women’s Test match played at Lord’s Cricket Ground earlier this year.
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