Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain across all formats
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India cricket icon Harmanpreet Kaur has relinquished the captaincy in all formats, making way for Smriti Mandhana to lead the national side into a new era.
India's most influential women's cricket leader, Harmanpreet Kaur, has resigned as captain across all three formats, with opener Smriti Mandhana named as her successor.
The 37-year-old Harmanpreet leaves the role after leading India in five Tests, 51 one-day internationals, and 155 T20 internationals. According to BBC Sport, she confirmed the decision in an Instagram post, stating she is leaving the side in a "good place" and is now "ready to play for the love of the game again." Her final match as captain was on September 22, when India secured a second consecutive Asian Games title against Sri Lanka.
The leadership change was ratified during a review meeting attended by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, coach Amol Muzumdar, Harmanpreet, and Mandhana. While BBC News reports that Harmanpreet was willing to give up the T20 captaincy immediately but wanted to continue leading in ODIs and Tests, the BCCI opted for a total transition to the 30-year-old Mandhana. This decision followed a group-stage exit at the recent T20 World Cup in England and concerns over the veteran's batting form.
Smriti Mandhana, who has previously captained India in 22 limited-overs matches and led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles, described the appointment as a "very special honour." Cricinfo reported that the new-look leadership team includes Shafali Verma as the T20I vice-captain and Deepti Sharma as the ODI vice-captain for the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe, which begins October 16.
Reflecting on her tenure, Harmanpreet wrote that she had given her "blood, sweat, and time" to the team, often putting her own growth aside for the collective good. She noted that as a captain, she had to make difficult decisions that were not always easy or understood, but were always intended to make the team better.
Background
Harmanpreet Kaur first captained India in 2012 and led the nation to its first global 50-over World Cup title last year. Her tenure also included a historic one-off Test victory against England at Lord's in July 2026 and a famous century against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final.
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