Harmanpreet Kaur resigned as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team in all three formats — Tests, One-Day Internationals, and Twenty20 Internationals — effective October 6, 2026. According to Cricbuzz, Kaur was given the choice of continuing to captain the side in ODIs and Tests, but she elected to step down from both formats at the same time.
The development came during a review meeting on October 5, 2026, with BCCI authorities and head coach Amol Muzumdar. The BCCI or any other organization has not published the formal explanation for Kaur’s decision. She will continue to play for India in all formats and remains available for selection.
Harmanpreet Kaur served as captain for a decade of Indian women’s cricket. She assumed command of the T20I team in 2016 before becoming the full-time ODI and Test captain in 2022, following Mithali Raj’s retirement female international cricket. During that time, she captained India in 5 Tests, 51 ODIs, and 155 T20Is, making her record one of the most lengthy in Indian women’s cricket history.
What did Harmanpreet Kaur achieve as India’s captain?
Among Harmanpreet Kaur most noteworthy achievements as captain was leading India to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup victory in 2025, which was a watershed moment for the country’s women’s cricket. Her final job as captain resulted in more success, with India winning a second consecutive gold medal in the Asian Games, having previously won the title in 2023 and 2026.
These two successes — a World Cup victory and back-to-back Asian Games gold medals — highlight the magnitude of Kaur’s contributions during her tenure. She took command of a team that had been slowly improving and led it to the sport’s pinnacle awards across forms and multi-sport tournaments.
Why did Harmanpreet Kaur resign, and what happens next?
Harmanpreet Kaur particular reason for stepping down has not been made public. Despite being offered the opportunity to continue as ODI and Test captain, she elected to step down from all three formats simultaneously. The BCCI has not released an official statement outlining the facts of the decision.
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As of October 6, 2026, no successor had been named by the BCCI. Given Kaur’s continuous availability across forms, the selectors will need to find a new captain for each format before India’s next assignments.
