Harmanpreet Kaur‘s decision to step down as captain will leave a big void in the Indian women’s cricket team. She made sure the women in blue became a cricketing powerhouse and a team that can constantly compete for silverware in every format. With the men’s team emerging as the best in the business, the women’s team faced pressure to have its own identity from the start. Previous captains took crucial steps, but Harmanpreet took it to the next level with an aggressive young unit that did not back down from challenges, both at home and overseas. India became a team that fought hard to reach the semifinals and the final. Eventually, the World Cup 2025 win at home ended the drought and took the monkey off Harmanpreet’s back.
She faced criticism during her captaincy when things didn’t work out for the team, but she proved to be a leader who did not back down when her back was against the wall, and people started counting her out. There were instances when critics called shots on her to relinquish the captaincy and hand over the reins to a young player like Smriti Mandhana, but Harmanpreet relinquished the position on her own terms after leading the Indian team to the Asian Games gold medal recently.
In all, Harmanpreet led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is.
“As a captain, I have had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes came at a personal cost. But every decision I made was with one intention – to make this TEAM better and to give other players the opportunity to grow, believe in themselves and become the best versions of themselves.” These words in Harmanpreet’s retirement note clearly depicted her conviction as a leader and the fighter she was while leading the side.
The 37-year-old was among the first Indian women players to understand the T20 style of play, a key reason for her elevation as T20I captain in 2016, a role she held for a decade. She became ODI captain in 2022 before leading all formats in 2023.
Under her captaincy, India began challenging tough opponents on overseas tours and even defeated them. The series win over England in ODIs in 2022 showed that this Indian team is ready to face challenges away from home. It was India’s first bilateral WODI away series win against England since 1999.
The rivalry with England has heated up after India put on another remarkable show against England by winning the first-ever WT20I bilateral series in 2025. Meanwhile, the first-ever Test match victory over Australia in 2023 is something Harmanpreet might cherish when looking back at her captaincy in bilateral contests.
World Cup glory stands out
The 2025 World Cup triumph, however, stands above all else in Harmanpreet’s captaincy. She led India to their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title, completing a journey which had seen the team grow stronger and more competitive under her leadership. After years of coming close, Harmanpreet finally lifted the trophy that had escaped Indian women’s cricket and became the captain to deliver the country’s first ODI World Cup crown.
Apart from the World Cup glory, she has also been part of several major title-winning campaigns for India over the years. She featured in the Women’s Asia Cup triumphs in 2012, 2016, 2022 and 2026, and was part of the teams that won Asian Games gold in Hangzhou in 2022 and Aichi-Nagoya in 2026. She also helped India win silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
