A year after leading India to the ODI World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of the national women’s cricket team in all formats — a surprise decision that she announced through an Instagram post Tuesday, a day after attending a team review meeting with BCCI officials and selectors in Guwahati.

The 37-year-old also said in the post that she was ready to continue playing for the country. “Now, I am ready to play for the love of the game. Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” she posted.

The ODI World Cup at home last year was the team’s first ever ICC title. But this July, the side failed to progress to the knockout rounds of the T20 World Cup for the second time in a row, prompting the selectors to decide on a change in leadership — although Harmanpreet was keen to continue, BCCI sources told .

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“The decision to move on from Harmanpreet as captain was by the selectors. After the end of the T20 World Cup, a review meeting was planned. But it took place after the Asian Games (where the team won gold). Harmanpreet wanted to continue as captain, but the selectors prevailed. The selectors felt it was time to build for the next World Cup cycle. There was no question of split captaincy,” the sources said.

has learnt that women’s team coach Amol Muzumdar, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet met separately with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and women’s selection committee chief Amita Sharma in Guwahati.

While there is no official announcement on who will take over as captain, Mandhana (30) is the front-runner for the position.

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Coach Amol Muzumdar, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet met separately with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and women’s selection committee chief Amita Sharma in Guwahati. (CREIMAS FOR BCCI)

Harmanpreet’s last assignment as captain was the Asian Games campaign, where India defended its title. She captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, and also led the team to three Asia Cup titles. She was appointed T20 captain in 2016 and took over the reins of the ODI team in 2022 after Mithali Raj’s retirement.

India had reached the ODI World Cup final in 2005 and 2017 under Mithali. With Harmanpreet at the helm, India became a top contender in the international arena: 2018 T20 World Cup semifinal, 2020 T20 World Cup final, 2023 T20 World Cup semifinal and, eventually, the 2025 ODI World Cup title. However, India were knocked out in the group stage of the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups.

‘Not easy decision’

“This is not an easy decision,” Harmanpreet wrote on Instagram. “It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket — my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions. There were moments when I had to put my individual performance, my own growth, and what I wanted for myself aside, because I believed the team had to come first.”

For Harman, leading this role wasn’t easy, she said. (CREIMAS FOR BCCI)

In an official statement, BCCI president Mithun Manhas said Harmanpreet’s “contribution as captain will always hold a special place in the history of Indian cricket”.

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“She took on the responsibility at an important stage in the growth of women’s cricket and helped the Indian team build on the strong foundation laid by those who came before her. Over the years, she led India through some very important moments and helped the team compete with confidence against the best in the world. The World Cup victory in 2025 will undoubtedly be the defining achievement of her captaincy,” Manhas said.

Saikia also highlighted the World Cup win in his tribute. “Harmanpreet, you can be immensely proud of what you have achieved as captain of India. You embraced the responsibility from the very beginning and went on to lead India through some of the most important moments in its journey, while playing an important role in the growth of Indian women’s cricket,” he said.

“You experienced the disappointment of falling short, but continued to believe in the team and its ability to achieve more. That is what made the World Cup victory in 2025 so special. You had been part of the journey for many years and eventually had the opportunity to lead India to its first women’s cricket World Cup title. That will always remain one of the great moments in Indian cricket,” Saikia said.