Harmanpreet Kaur: Captain Who Led India to World Cup Glory

Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats on October 6, 2026, ending a leadership tenure that culminated in India’s maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title in 2025. Kaur will continue playing international cricket, while Smriti Mandhana has been appointed as her successor.

The announcement followed a decade in which Kaur helped India compete against leading teams and overcome repeated setbacks at major tournaments. Her captaincy included World Cup appearances, continental titles and Asian Games gold medals.

• Kaur led India to their first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title in November 2025.
• India defeated Australia in the semifinal before beating South Africa in the final.
• She stepped down as all-format captain on October 6, 2026.
• Smriti Mandhana succeeded Kaur as India’s women’s team captain.
• India won the Asia Cup and Asian Games gold during Kaur’s final period as captain.

Kaur’s captaincy included several near-misses before India reached the top of women’s cricket. India lost the 2017 ODI World Cup final to England, finished runners-up at the 2020 T20 World Cup and won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The team also reached the semifinals of the 2023 T20 World Cup.

The breakthrough came in November 2025. India defeated defending champions Australia in the semifinal before beating South Africa by 52 runs in the final in Navi Mumbai. The victory secured India’s first Women’s Cricket World Cup title.

Kaur’s leadership record spans five Tests, 51 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 155 Twenty 20 Internationals (T20Is). She became India’s regular T20I captain in 2016 and took charge of the ODI and Test teams in 2022, following Mithali Raj’s retirement.

Her tenure also included success in other competitions, with India winning the Asia Cup in September 2026 and securing a second consecutive Asian Games gold medal later that month.