CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain in all formats. Announcing her decision on October 6, 2026, she said it was not an easy decision, but she now felt this was the right time for the future of the team. However, Harmanpreet will continue to play for India as a player.
Indian women’s cricket achieved several historic milestones under Harmanpreet’s leadership. Under her captaincy, India won the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time in 2025. The team also won both women’s cricket gold medals at the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games. In 2026, in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, India defeated Sri Lanka in the final to win gold for the second consecutive time.
Harmanpreet captained India in 211 international matches. She took over as full-time T20 captain in 2016 and assumed charge of the ODI and Test teams in 2022. Under her captaincy, India also recorded a historic women’s Test victory at Lord’s.
After her decision to step down, Smriti Mandhana has been appointed India’s new captain in all three formats. In her farewell as captain, Harmanpreet said she is now ready to return to the field once again simply for the love of the game.
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