Three players in contention to replace Harmanpreet Kaur as India women's captain

Harmanpreet Kaur announced on social media on 6 October 2026 that she had stepped down as India women's captain across all three formats, confirming the decision in an emotional post. The move, described by the source as a shock to many fans, ends her spell as skipper and leaves the captaincy vacant.

Under Harmanpreet's leadership India won the 2025 Women’s ODI Cup and claimed gold medals at the Asian Games in 2023 and 2026, and she led Team India in a total of 211 international matches across all three formats. Her resignation — coming only weeks after India’s Asian Games 2026 gold — opens a search for a successor to lead the side across formats.

Deepti Sharma is presented by the source as a front‑line candidate; she made her India debut in 2014 and has been a regular in all three formats. The article reports she has featured in more than 280 matches across formats, scored more than 4000 runs and taken 380 wickets, and has also led in the WPL, with her international experience cited as a factor in her leadership case.

Jemimah Rodrigues is listed as an all‑format option who has been with India for almost a decade and has played close to 200 international matches. The piece notes she played a match‑winning knock in the semifinal against Australia to help India win the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, and that she recently took the captaincy role of Delhi Capitals in the WPL and led them to the final.

Smriti Mandhana, identified in the article as India’s current vice‑captain, has filled the captain’s role on a few occasions in Harmanpreet’s absence and is described as one of India’s biggest match‑winners across formats. The source states she recently became the leading run‑scorer in women’s cricket history and says she is in her prime with several years left, adding that she is expected to take on the captaincy responsibility.

Harmanpreet’s decision has, according to the source, opened up the race for the India women’s captaincy across formats and set the stage for selectors to choose her successor. The article implies the trio above are the leading contenders to be considered for that role.