India women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down from captaincy across Tests, ODIs and T20Is with immediate effect.

The 37-year-old confirmed the decision in a statement shared on social media, saying she felt she had fulfilled her responsibility as captain and was ready to return to the game without the additional pressure of leadership.

Kaur, however, is not retiring from international cricket. She will remain available as a player, marking a transition from captain to senior member of the Indian squad.

Her decision closes a major chapter in Indian women's cricket, following years in which she became one of the most recognisable leaders in the women's game.

The defining achievement of Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy came in November 2025, when India won its first-ever ICC Women's ODI World Cup.

The historic title ended India's long wait for a senior women's ODI World Cup and represented one of the biggest milestones in the history of Indian women's cricket.

Kaur's leadership during the tournament cemented her place among India's most successful women's cricket captains.

The World Cup victory also provided a fitting high point to a captaincy era that had included several major international milestones.

Leading India to the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup championship stands as the biggest achievement of Kaur's captaincy.

The victory transformed a long-standing ambition into reality and gave Indian women's cricket its first senior ODI World Cup trophy.

Kaur became the first cricketer in the world to captain 150 T20I matches, reaching the landmark during India's 2026 campaign.

She also became the first player, male or female, to reach 200 appearances in men's or women's T20 internationals, underlining the extraordinary longevity of her career.

Under Kaur's leadership, India won women's cricket gold at the 2023 Asian Games.

India successfully defended that title in 2026, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. Kaur led the side during another major multi-sport triumph for Indian women's cricket.

Before becoming one of India's longest-serving captains, Kaur had already established herself as a trailblazer with the bat.

She became the first Indian woman to score a T20I century, while her famous unbeaten 171-run ODI innings against Australia in 2017 became one of the defining performances of her career.

Kaur's achievements extend well beyond captaincy. She became the first Indian cricketer to play 100 T20Is, later became the first player worldwide to reach 200 T20I appearances and is the most-capped woman in international cricket.

She also became the first Indian cricketer to score a half-century across all three international formats at Lord's, adding another unique milestone to her career.

Kaur's departure from the captaincy opens the door to a new leadership phase for India women's cricket.

While no successor was specified in the reports, attention will naturally turn towards India's next-generation leadership group. Players such as Smriti Mandhana are likely to be part of the wider conversation around India's future captaincy.

For Kaur, however, the next phase is about playing without the responsibility of leading the side.

Her own message captured the transition: captaincy may be ending, but her cricket journey is continuing.

Harmanpreet Kaur leaves the India captaincy with a legacy built on World Cup success, historic T20I records, Asian Games gold medals and landmark batting performances.

From her breakthrough 171 against Australia to leading India to its first women's ODI World Cup title, her career has been closely linked with the growth of women's cricket in India.

Now, as she continues as a player, Kaur enters a different chapter — one where she can focus on batting, fielding and contributing to the team without carrying the captain's burden.