BCCI hails Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership after captaincy exit

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lauded Harmanpreet Kaur for her contribution to Indian women’s cricket after she stepped down as captain across all formats, bringing an end to a leadership journey spanning more than a decade.

The board described Kaur as one of the central figures in the growth of Indian women’s cricket, highlighting her role in some of the team’s most significant achievements, including India’s historic maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph.

Kaur’s leadership journey began unexpectedly in 2012, when injuries ruled out Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami from the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final. The responsibility fell on a young Kaur, who responded by leading India to an 18-run victory over Pakistan and the inaugural Women’s T20 Asia Cup title.

She became India’s regular T20I captain in 2016 and took over the ODI and Test captaincy in 2022 following Mithali Raj’s retirement from international cricket.

World Cup triumph the defining moment

The defining achievement of Kaur’s captaincy came in 2025, when she became the first Indian women’s captain to lift the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

India’s campaign included a memorable semi-final against Australia, where Kaur scored 89 and shared a match-changing 167-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues as India chased down a record target of 339.

India went on to defeat South Africa by 52 runs in the final in Navi Mumbai, securing their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title.

The BCCI said the triumph represented the culmination of years of progress, hard work and belief within Indian women’s cricket.

Kaur’s final assignment as captain also ended with another major achievement, as she led India to a second consecutive Asian Games gold medal in Nagoya, where India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.

A career marked by landmark achievements

The BCCI also highlighted Kaur’s individual contribution to Indian cricket, including her unforgettable 171 not out against Australia in the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final.

The innings helped India reach the final and became one of the most memorable individual performances in women’s cricket.

Under Kaur’s leadership, India also reached the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup final, won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and claimed its first Asian Games gold.

Her tenure was also marked by remarkable longevity. Kaur became the most-capped international player in women’s cricket, the first player to feature in 200 T20Is and the first to captain in 150 T20Is.

Kaur to continue as player

In her communication to the BCCI, Kaur said leading India had been one of the greatest honours of her life but felt the time was right to hand over the captaincy and allow the team to move forward under new leadership.

She thanked the BCCI, selectors, coaches, support staff and teammates for their trust and support during her tenure.

Kaur also made it clear that stepping down as captain does not mark the end of her international career. She intends to continue representing India as a player and support the new leadership and younger members of the squad.

BCCI praises Kaur’s contribution

BCCI President Mithun Manhas said Kaur’s contribution would occupy a special place in the history of Indian cricket.

He described the 2025 World Cup victory as the defining achievement of her captaincy and praised her for helping India compete with confidence against the world’s leading teams.

“On behalf of the BCCI, I thank Harmanpreet for her leadership and the responsibility she has shown throughout her tenure as captain. I am pleased that she will continue to represent India as a player,” Manhas said.

BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia also praised Kaur for embracing the responsibility of leadership and continuing to believe in the team’s potential despite setbacks.

Saikia said the World Cup triumph would remain one of the great moments in Indian cricket and welcomed Kaur’s decision to continue contributing as a player.

The BCCI thanked Kaur for the responsibility, belief and commitment she brought to the captaincy and expressed confidence that her experience and presence would continue to benefit the Indian women’s team in the next phase of its journey.