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Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down As Captain After Inspiring Cricket Career
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News18•06-10-2026, 15:14
Harmanpreet Kaur Steps Down As Captain After Inspiring Cricket Career
- •Harmanpreet Kaur started her cricket journey by playing gully cricket with boys in Moga and received early training from Kamaldish Singh Sodhi.
- •She rose to fame with a historic unbeaten 171-run knock against Australia in the 2017 Women's World Cup semi-final.
- •Her career faced major hurdles when a controversy arose regarding her graduation degree, threatening her Punjab Police DSP post.
- •She led India to win its first-ever Women's ODI World Cup in 2025 and secured a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2026.
- •On October 6, 2026, Harmanpreet officially stepped down as captain across all three formats, though she continues to play as a player.
Key Questions Answered
Harmanpreet Kaur decided to step down as the captain of the Indian women's team across all three formats on October 6, 2026, though she stated she will continue to play as a player.
Her graduation degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, submitted for verification in 2018, could not be verified from university records and was termed fake. Since graduation was mandatory for a DSP post, the government considered demoting her to a constable.
Under her leadership, India won the Women's ODI World Cup for the first time in 2025 by defeating South Africa in the final. Additionally, she led India to win the gold medal in women's cricket for the second consecutive time at the Asian Games in 2026.
