Harmanpreet Kaur resigns as captain of India's women's cricket team

Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India's women's cricket team, has stepped down from her role across all formats. At 37 years old, Kaur is the longest-serving captain in cricket history, having led the team in over 150 T20I matches. Kaur announced her decision via a social media post on October 6, 2026, two weeks after leading India to a successful title defense at the Asian Games. She stated, "Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats. This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life." Kaur has been the Twenty20 captain since 2016 and took on the ODI and Test captaincy in 2022. She made her T20I and ODI debuts for India in 2009. Reports indicate that her decision followed a meeting with Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to discuss the future of the women's team. Smriti Mandhana, who has served as Kaur's deputy since 2022, is considered the leading candidate to succeed her. Under Kaur's leadership, India won their first Women's Cricket World Cup title in November 2025 and successfully defended their gold medal at the Asian Games against Sri Lanka, shortly after winning the Women’s Asia Cup in September. Kaur has captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs, and 155 T20Is, making her the first cricketer to lead in over 150 T20I matches. In her Instagram post, she expressed her emotions regarding the captaincy change, stating, "I leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions, but also with peace … because I genuinely believe my team is in a good place. I feel I have done my duty. Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will. Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues."