India women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has quit captaincy of all three formats of the Indian women's cricket team. The 37-year-old announced her decision on Tuesday, October 6th, 2026, in a lengthy post on Instagram.
The development brings an end to one of the longest captaincy tenures in Indian women’s cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also confirmed that Harmanpreet has stepped down as the leader.
Harmanpreet said the decision was not easy and was reflective of years of memories, emotions and sacrifice. She wanted others to know that her international career is not over.
I Feel I Have Done My Duty
Harmanpreet said she believed the Indian team was in a good place and that she had fulfilled her responsibility as captain.
She also admitted that she will continue to represent India as a player. She had said in her message that her captaincy has ended but she will still be involved with the team.
"Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” she said in her statement, signalling that fans can still expect to see her on the field.
A Decade at the Helm
Harmanpreet was first a regular T20I captain in 2016. She took charge of India’s ODI team following Mithali Raj’s retirement in 2022 and became the team’s all-format captain in 2023.
Her tenure included some historical achievements. Most notably, Harmanpreet took India to their first Women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025 and she was the first Indian woman to lead her country to a 50-over World Cup victory.
She also recently took India to yet another major international success at the 2026 Asian Games in which the women’s team won the T20 gold medal.
India are on the lookout for a new captain following the decision by Harmanpreet Kaur to step down from the position across all formats 👀 Details 👇 https://t.co/Nmj2xtyKXK
— ICC (@ICC) October 6, 2026
The decision comes after a BCCI review meeting.
Harmanpreet’s decision came soon after a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati. The meeting was chaired by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and attended by Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar.
The meeting focused on assessing the team's performance so far and the team's future direction.
What happens next?
Now that Harmanpreet is stepping down, the attention will turn to India's next captain for all formats. Smriti Mandhana appears to be one of the most likely candidates but an official decision should be made prior to calling her the new captain.
For Indian women's cricket, Harmanpreet's departure as a leader marks a new chapter. But her decision to continue playing means her experience and presence will remain valuable to the team.
