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Captaincy curtain falls: Time for The Harmonster to rise again
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Firstpost•07-10-2026, 12:27
Captaincy curtain falls: Time for The Harmonster to rise again
- •Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women's cricket team after leading the side in 211 matches.
- •Under her leadership, India lifted their first global title by winning the ODI World Cup and secured two Asian Games gold medals.
- •Smriti Mandhana has been officially anointed as the new Team India skipper following the transition.
- •Harmanpreet intends to continue playing for India purely on merit, though her recent batting form has been under scrutiny.
- •The team faces major upcoming tournaments including the Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup, and the 2028 Olympic Games.
Key Questions Answered
Following Harmanpreet Kaur's departure from leadership after 211 matches, her long-serving deputy Smriti Mandhana has been officially anointed as the new Team India skipper.
Under Harmanpreet's leadership, India lifted their first global title by winning the ODI World Cup on the outskirts of Mumbai, alongside securing two Asian Games gold medals, including the latest in Aichi-Nagoya.
Over the next couple of years, the team's key summits include a first-ever women's Champions Trophy in February next year, the T20 World Cup the following year, and cricket's debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
