Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India women’s captain after World Cup and Test successes

Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of India’s women’s cricket team, a decision she disclosed in a widely read Instagram post published on October 14, 2026, ending an era in which she led India in international cricket.

Harmanpreet was a long-serving captain who, the article says, enjoyed the role and the walks to the middle under television lights; she led India to last year’s ODI World Cup title but could not guide the side into the semifinals of the Women’s T20 World Cup in England three months ago.

Former India captain Shubhangi Kulkarni highlighted Harmanpreet’s contribution to the World Cup win, noting, “Only Kapil Dev and M.S. Dhoni have done that,” and pointing out Harmanpreet’s batting in the semifinal, where she scored 89 and shared a 167-run third-wicket stand with Jemimah Rodrigues after the openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma were dismissed inside 10 overs; Kulkarni contrasted that with Jemimah’s century in the same game.

In the T20 World Cup at Lord’s, Harmanpreet produced a 27-ball 56 in a must-win league match against Australia but India were eliminated after Australia’s partnership between Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner turned the contest and India had earlier slipped up with a defeat to South Africa in their group.

Directly after the World Cup, India won the women’s Test at Lord’s, where the article states the visitors outplayed England, and those results were followed by twin successes at the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, enabling Harmanpreet to finish her captaincy on a string of notable team achievements.

In her Instagram post she reflected on the personal cost of leadership: “The decision carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she wrote, and added, “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 acknowledged difficult choices, saying, “Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes came at a personal cost,” and concluded, “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.”

Biju George, who worked with Harmanpreet as India’s fielding coach, described her as a transformative, aggressive leader: “She was an aggressive captain who hated losing,” he said, adding, “Like he transformed the Indian men’s team, Harman did something similar with the women’s team.” Biju also praised her batting, calling her 171 not out against Australia in the semifinal of the 2017 World Cup in England “the best innings I have ever seen, by a male or a female cricketer,” and suggested that, freed of captaincy, “She could bat with more freedom.” He further expressed support for a single captain across formats, saying, “Smriti also deserves to be a captain for a few years. And I also think it is good that they did not split the captaincy between formats. It is always to have just one captain. Multiple captains could create issues within the team.”

Teammates paid tribute to Harmanpreet’s leadership and mentorship: Smriti Mandhana wrote on social media, “It has been a pleasure playing with you for so many years,” adding, “Ten years of your leadership have been fantastic and together, we will strive to bring many more laurels for our nation.” Shafali Verma said, “Since the day I made my debut, you have always been there for me, on and off the field,” and described Harmanpreet’s role guiding her through early days and standing by her through everything. The article also credits Harmanpreet with nurturing young players such as Shafali, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud and with backing Shafali’s development as a bowler.

Biju’s view that Harmanpreet might score more after stepping down and his endorsement of Smriti as captain are reflected in the immediate transition within the squad: Smriti Mandhana paid tribute publicly as she assumed the captaincy role, marking the next phase for the Indian women’s team following Harmanpreet’s resignation.