'I have done my duty': Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain

Harmanpreet Kaur (BCCI Photo)

India women’s long-serving captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down from captaincy in all three formats. The 37-year-old said she had fulfilled her responsibility as captain and is now ready to return to the game without the pressure of leading the side.“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team across all formats,” she posted on her Instagram account.

‘This is not an easy decision’Harmanpreet said giving up the captaincy was an emotional decision after years of leading India.“This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Harmanpreet said in a lengthy statement.She also made it clear that stepping down as captain does not mean the end of her international career.“Now, I'm ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” she added.A decade as T20I captainHarmanpreet took charge of India’s T20I team in 2016 and remained in the role for 10 years. She became the ODI captain in 2022 before taking over as the all-format leader in 2023.Her time as captain included some of India women’s biggest achievements.

Under her leadership, India won their maiden ODI World Cup in November last year and recently secured a second successive Asian Games gold in the T20 format.Harmanpreet said she was stepping away from leadership with confidence in the team’s future.“I’m leaving the captaincy with a heart full of emotions, but also with peace,” she said.“Because I genuinely believe my team is in a good place,” she said.

HARMANPREET KAUR STATEMENT:

Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats.This is not an easy decision. 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.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.I have seen it all.I have seen the lowest moments, the heartbreak, the criticism, the doubts and the days when nothing seemed to go our way. And I have also experienced the highest highs - the victories, the celebrations, the pride of representing our country, and the moments that made every sacrifice worth it.| leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions , but also with PEACE .

Because I genuinely believe My team is in a good place. A team with talent, character, belief and a future that I am incredibly excited to watch and be a part of .I feel I have done my duty.I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women’s cricket.Now, it is time for me to turn the page.Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will.Thank you to every teammate, coach, support staff, management , BCCI , family members every single fan who stood by me through the highs and lows.Blood. Sweat. Sarifice. Pride.I gave it allNow, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again.Captaincy ends. The journey continues.