Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down As India Women’s Cricket Team Captain

• Harmanpreet Kaur has announced her decision to step down as the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team in all formats. The 37-year-old posted on social media today, October 6, 2026, that it has been an incredible journey filled with emotions, heartaches, and sacrifice but that she will continue playing for India as a player.
• Harmanpreet Kaur has enjoyed a successful career as the leader of the Indian women’s cricket team. One of the most outstanding achievements of her captaincy was leading India to win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. The team won the trophy by beating South Africa in the final, making Harmanpreet the first-ever Indian woman captain to win the ICC Women’s World Cup 50-over title.
• Under her captaincy, India also won Asian Games gold medals in 2023 and 2026. She has captained the team in five Test matches, 51 ODI matches, and 155 T20I matches. Moreover, in 2026, she became the first-ever player to captain in 150 women’s T20I matches and the most-capped international women’s cricketer.
• Harmanpreet expressed her feelings about her decision, saying that she believes the Indian women’s team is in capable hands and that she wants to continue contributing to the team as a player.

Smriti Mandhana Appointed as the New Captain of Indian Women’s Cricket Team

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Smriti Mandhana as the new captain of Indian women’s cricket team across all formats. Mandhana, who was the vice-captain, has already captained India in several T20I and ODI matches. She has been successful in her captaincy stint, leading RCB to two WPL titles as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Smriti Mandhana has had a prolific captaincy career so far in women’s cricket. With the announcement of her appointment as the captain of Indian women’s cricket team, the team has entered a new era. Harmanpreet Kaur’s remarkable contribution to Indian women’s cricket team will always be remembered for achieving the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 and leading the team to gold medals in the Asian Games 2023 and 2026. With Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to step down as the captain of Indian women’s cricket team, Smriti Mandhana has assumed the role of the leader with Harmanpreet continuing to play as a player.