Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India women's team captain

India’s women cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain across all three formats. The 37-year-old announced her decision after a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati.  Chaired by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was attended by Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar. Harmanpreet led India to its maiden ODI World Cup title last year and also guided the team to gold at the Asian Games. She captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, having led the T20 side since 2016 and taken charge of the ODI team in 2022. Harmanpreet will continue to represent India as a player across formats. 
In a lengthy post on social media, Harmanpreet shared that it was not an easy decision but the time had come for her to step down, having given everything to the national team for years. Reflecting on the challenges of leadership, Kaur said she had to make difficult decisions that were not always understood and sometimes came at a personal cost. Kaur said her captaincy journey had seen both difficult periods and memorable triumphs, adding that she was leaving the role with a sense of peace and confidence in the team’s future. “I feel I have done my duty. I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women’s cricket. Now, it is time for me to turn the page. Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will,” she said.