Harmanpreet Kaur: The captain who changed how India’s women played cricket

What happened when Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as India’s all-format captain, and who replaced her?

Kaur’s resignation ended a decade-long leadership journey across India’s women’s cricket. She said the decision was difficult but confirmed that she would continue playing international cricket. The change came after discussions about the team’s future with Mandhana, coach Amol Muzumdar and board secretary Devajit Saikia.

Mandhana succeeded Kaur as captain in all three formats: Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals. Kaur’s final assignment as captain was the Asian Games in Japan, where India won gold. Nine days earlier, she had led India to an Asia Cup title in the United Arab Emirates.

The handover follows Kaur’s biggest achievement. In November 2025, India beat Australia in the semifinal and South Africa in the final to become world champions. Her departure therefore begins a new era, but she remains an international player and an important figure in India’s rise.

What does it mean to be an “all-format” cricket captain?

Being an all-format captain means leading a team across cricket’s three main international forms. These are Test matches, one-day internationals, and Twenty20 internationals. Each format demands different planning, pacing and team selection. A captain must therefore guide both short, explosive games and longer contests requiring patience.

Kaur first became India’s full-time T20I captain in 2016. She was later earmarked to take over leadership across all formats. Her record included five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is as captain. Those figures show the scale of her responsibility and the length of her leadership.

The role mattered because India competed for major prizes in every format while developing a more confident identity. Under Kaur, India reached the 2020 T20 World Cup final, won major medals and trophies, and finally captured the 2025 World Cup. Mandhana now inherits that broad responsibility.

How extensive was Kaur’s leadership record, and what major trophies and medals did India win under her?

Kaur’s leadership was extensive in both matches and outcomes. She captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. Her win percentages were 80 percent in Tests, 58.82 percent in ODIs and 59.35 percent in T20Is. She was India’s most capped women’s cricketer.

The defining prize came in November 2025. India beat defending champions Australia in a dramatic semifinal, then defeated South Africa in the final to win its first World Cup. Earlier, Kaur’s India reached the 2020 T20 World Cup final and earned silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The team also lost a 2023 T20 World Cup semifinal.

Her final captaincy medals came late in the journey. India won the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, then took gold at the Asian Games in Japan. Together, these results show progress through repeated near-misses rather than instant success.

How did Kaur’s 171 not out against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semifinal change beliefs about what Indian women cricketers could do?

The innings mattered because it challenged a powerful old assumption: Indian women could not consistently hit with the force needed at the highest level. Kaur’s unbeaten 171 came against Australia in the 2017 ODI World Cup semifinal. It took India into the final and became a defining moment for the team.

The effect reached beyond the score. Kaur later recalled that her father’s friends had discouraged her from attempting big shots because they believed girls lacked the power to clear the boundary. After watching the 2017 World Cup, those same attitudes changed. They began believing that Kaur and her teammates could hit over the rope.

The performance also influenced the next generation. Australia’s Alyssa Healy later praised Kaur for helping lead Indian women into the modern game. The innings did not instantly win a title, but it expanded belief, ambition and the acceptable image of an Indian batter.

What changed in the way India’s women played under Kaur, especially in the aggressive Twenty20 format?

Under Kaur, India’s women increasingly played with the aggression associated with modern T20 cricket. This mattered because the team’s traditional strengths had not always suited the shortest international format. Her leadership encouraged a stronger belief that Indian batters could attack rather than simply preserve wickets.

The clearest example came at the 2018 T20 World Cup. In her first tournament as full-time captain, Kaur led India to its first semifinal in eight years. She also scored India’s first T20I century, making 103 from 51 balls against New Zealand. That combination of leadership and explosive batting showed the possible rewards of an attacking approach.

The change was larger than one player’s strike rate. Kaur helped make power, confidence and modern intent central to India’s T20 identity. The team still experienced setbacks, including the 2020 final loss and 2023 semifinal defeat, but those experiences built a side that eventually won the 2025 World Cup.

Which teammates and younger players helped India progress from World Cup finalists to champions, and how did Kaur support them as captain?

The source does not provide a complete list of teammates or younger players who carried India from finalists to champions. It specifically names Smriti Mandhana, Kaur’s deputy for four years, and notes Alyssa Healy’s praise for Kaur’s influence on a new generation of Indian women. Those are the clearest people identified in the article.

Kaur’s support is shown through the standards she established as captain and batter. Her 171 against Australia demonstrated that an Indian woman could dominate a major match with power. Her 2018 century gave the T20 side a visible model for attacking cricket. The article links this example to India’s broader evolution.

The source does not describe individual mentoring conversations, selection choices or specific younger players’ contributions. It does show a team that kept improving after final defeats, then beat Australia and South Africa in 2025. That progress suggests Kaur’s influence outlasted any single innings or lineup.

Why have Australia and England historically been the dominant teams in women’s cricket, and what does India’s 2025 World Cup victory reveal about the growth of the women’s game?

Australia and England historically dominated women’s cricket because they built strong teams earlier and sustained high standards across major competitions. This broader explanation uses established cricket history; the article itself mainly describes them as India’s traditional heavyweights. Both countries developed deep talent pools, organized domestic structures and long traditions of international success.

India’s 2025 victory exposed a major change in that balance. India beat defending champions Australia in a comeback semifinal, then defeated South Africa in the final. The result was not merely a surprise win. It followed years of near-misses, including the 2017 ODI final, the 2020 T20 final and the 2023 semifinal.

The triumph shows that women’s cricket has become more competitive and globally developed. India’s success also reflects growing confidence in power-hitting, professional preparation and high-pressure performance. Australia and England remain major forces, but India’s title proves the game’s future is no longer defined by only two traditional powers.

Key Facts:

📌 Kaur resigned as India’s all-format captain on October 6, 2026.

📌 Smriti Mandhana replaced Kaur as captain.

📌 Kaur continued playing international cricket after stepping down.

📌 All-format leadership covers Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

📌 Kaur captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is.

📌 Mandhana now leads India across every international format.

📌 Kaur captained 211 international matches for India.