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

The World Cup-winning skipper will continue to play for India after ending a captaincy that began in 2016

KickHour.com | October 07, 2026

Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women's cricket team in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, with immediate effect. She announced the decision on Tuesday, October 6, in a statement on her Instagram account.

The 37-year-old said it was not an easy decision. She made clear that she is not retiring and will stay with the team as a player.

Her last assignment as captain was the 2026 Asian Games, where India won women's T20 gold for the second time in a row, after also winning in 2023. India beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.

A Decade at the Helm

Harmanpreet first led India in 2012 as a stand-in and became the permanent T20I captain in 2016. She took over the ODI and Test captaincy in 2022 after Mithali Raj's retirement.

Her biggest achievement came in November 2025, when she led India to their first ICC Women's Cricket World Cup title on home soil. She became only the third Indian captain, after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni, to win the 50-over World Cup.

Captaincy Highlights

🏏 Matches as captain: 5 Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is
🏆 World Cup: Maiden ICC Women's Cricket World Cup title (2025)
🥇 Asian Games: Gold in 2023 and 2026
🥈 Other finals: Silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and runners-up at the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup
🌏 Asia Cup: Four titles under her captaincy
📊 Record: Most matches as captain in women's T20I cricket

What Happens Next

Smriti Mandhana is the current vice-captain and is seen as the front-runner to take over. Details of the new captain and the leadership plan for upcoming series are expected from the BCCI.

Harmanpreet's decision ends one of the longest and most successful captaincy runs in Indian women's cricket history. Her bat, experience and leadership will still be part of the squad.

About KickHour.com

KickHour.com is a sports hub for football, cricket and tennis, offering match predictions, live scores, latest news and upcoming fixtures. For more, visit https://www.kickhour.com

Kickhour.com Desk — Just Kick It