Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down as India Women’s Captain, Smriti Mandhana Likely to Take Charge

New Delhi: Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday suddenly announced her resignation from the captaincy of all formats. 37-year-old Harmanpreet informed about her decision through an emotional post on social media. However, she clarified that leaving the captaincy does not mean keeping distance from cricket. She will continue to play for the Indian team as a player. Her decision comes after the recent review meeting of BCCI, in which Harmanpreet was also attended by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Majumdar. 

What did Harmanpreet say while leaving the captaincy?

Harmanpreet wrote in her post that leaving the captaincy of all formats was not an easy decision. Many years of memories, emotions, sacrifices and such moments are associated with this responsibility, which she will remember throughout her life. She said that she gave her all to Indian women's cricket and the team. On many occasions she had to put aside her personal priorities and ambitions, as the team always came first for her.

She also said that as captain she had to take many difficult decisions. It was not necessary that every decision be liked by everyone, but their objective was to make the team better and to give the players a chance to move forward. In her message, Harmanpreet recalled the team's difficult times, criticism and disappointments as well as the big wins and pride of representing the country.

How big was the success?

The biggest milestone in Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy career came in 2025, when under her leadership the Indian women's team won the ODI World Cup title for the first time. After this, in 2026 also the team achieved many big achievements under her captaincy. Recently India won the gold medal in women's T20 cricket in the Asian Games. Earlier, the Indian team had also won the title of 2026 Asia Cup.

Harmanpreet took over the captaincy of the Indian T20 team in 2016. In 2022, she got the command of the ODI team and in 2023 she became the captain of all formats. In this way, she led the Indian T20 team for almost a decade and was the most prominent leader of the women's cricket team for a long time.

Will Smriti Mandhana become the next captain?

After Harmanpreet stepped down from the captaincy post, now Smriti Mandhana's name is being discussed the most. Mandhana has been playing the role of vice-captain of the team for a long time and is an important part of the Indian team in all three formats. However, the name of the new captain has not been officially announced by BCCI yet. Therefore, considering Mandhana as the next captain is currently being seen only as a possible option. 

Will Harmanpreet's international journey continue?

Despite stepping down from the captaincy, Harmanpreet has made it clear in her message that her relationship with Indian cricket has not ended. She said that now she is ready to play again for her love for the game. Her message was, “Captaincy ends, the journey continues.” This means that in the coming times, she will continue to be seen as a player in the jersey of the Indian team. 

This change for Harmanpreet has come at a time when under her captaincy, Indian women's cricket has achieved success on big stages like the World Cup and Asian Games. Now the team will face the challenge of moving forward with the change in leadership, while Harmanpreet's role will continue as a senior player.