Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats, bringing an end to one of the most important leadership eras in Indian women’s cricket.
Harmanpreet announced her decision on October 6, shortly after leading India to another Asian Games gold medal. She will continue playing for India, but will no longer carry the responsibility of captaincy.
Smriti Mandhana is now the clear frontrunner to take over the leadership. She has been India’s vice-captain for a long time, has already led the national team in Harmanpreet’s absence and has significant captaincy experience in franchise cricket. She has also led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles.
For Indian fans, Harmanpreet stepping down immediately after a successful period may come as a surprise. But when the future of the team is considered, the timing makes sense.
Why This Could Be the Right Time for a Captaincy Transition
Harmanpreet is 37 years old. The next Women’s T20 World Cup will be played in 2028, while the next ODI World Cup is scheduled for 2029.
That means Harmanpreet would be around 39 by the time of the next T20 World Cup and around 40 when the next ODI World Cup arrives. There is no guarantee that she will still be playing international cricket at that stage.
This has nothing to do with questioning Harmanpreet’s ability as a player. She remains capable of producing match-winning innings and has continued to perform at the highest level.
The bigger question is succession planning.
Instead of waiting until Harmanpreet retires or reaches the end of her career, India now have an opportunity to prepare their next captain well before the major tournaments of 2028 and 2029.
Mandhana has already spent years alongside Harmanpreet in the leadership group. If she takes charge while Harmanpreet is still part of the dressing room, she will also have an experienced former captain alongside her during the early phase of her leadership.
That could make the transition much smoother.
Harmanpreet Kaur Changed the Mentality of This Indian Team
Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy should not be judged only by trophies.
One of the biggest changes during her era was the way India started approaching the strongest teams in world cricket.
For years, Australia and England were considered the biggest barriers for India. Under Harmanpreet, India gradually developed the belief that they could not only compete against these teams but beat them.
India started producing major results against Australia and England and showed that they could do it away from home as well.
The 2025 tour of England was a major example. India won both the ODI and T20I series in England. India then created history in 2026 by winning the first-ever women’s Test played at Lord’s, defeating England by 270 runs.
These results represented a much bigger change in Indian women’s cricket. India were no longer a team dependent only on home conditions to challenge the biggest sides.
That winning belief became one of the defining features of Harmanpreet’s captaincy.
World Cup Glory and Asian Games Gold Define Her Legacy
The biggest moment of Harmanpreet’s captaincy came when India finally won the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025.
It was the breakthrough Indian women’s cricket had waited years for. After several painful near-misses at major ICC tournaments, Harmanpreet finally led India to its maiden senior ICC title.
Her trophy cabinet as captain also includes consecutive Asian Games gold medals.
India won gold when women’s cricket made its Asian Games debut in 2023 and successfully defended the title under Harmanpreet in 2026.
She also led India to the final of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup and to a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
These achievements ensure that Harmanpreet leaves the captaincy with a legacy that goes far beyond individual numbers.
Two T20 World Cup Exits Were the Biggest Low
Harmanpreet’s captaincy journey was not without disappointments.
The biggest negative came in the T20 World Cup.
India failed to progress beyond the group stage in two successive editions of the tournament. The 2026 campaign was particularly disappointing because India entered the tournament as ODI world champions but were eliminated after defeats against South Africa and Australia.
Two consecutive group-stage exits showed that despite India’s progress in other formats, their T20 game still needed improvement.
There were questions over tactics, combinations and decision-making during these campaigns. It remains the clearest weak spot in an otherwise highly influential captaincy tenure.
But those failures should be viewed alongside everything India achieved during the same era.
Smriti Mandhana Looks Ready for the Next Chapter
If India officially hand the captaincy to Smriti Mandhana, she will not be walking into an unfamiliar role.
Mandhana has been Harmanpreet’s deputy for years and has captained India when Harmanpreet was unavailable. She has also proved herself as a leader in the WPL, guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two titles.
Most importantly, India now have time.
The team does not have to throw a new captain directly into a World Cup. The next T20 World Cup is still two years away, giving the new leadership enough time to build its own combinations, understand pressure situations and develop a clear style of cricket.
And Harmanpreet can still be there to help.
That may ultimately be the best part of this transition. India can move towards a new captain without immediately losing the experience of the old one.
Harmanpreet Kaur leaves behind a team that believes it can beat Australia, England and the other major sides anywhere in the world. She leaves after delivering India’s first ODI World Cup, two Asian Games gold medals and several historic victories.
There were disappointments, especially the two successive T20 World Cup exits, but they do not erase what changed during her leadership.
Indian women’s cricket learned how to believe, compete and, most importantly, win against the very best during the Harmanpreet Kaur era.
Thank you, Captain.
Download the CricInformer app
Take CricInformer with you. Get our app for cricket news and updates on your phone.