She made India fall in love with women's cricket – now her era as captain is over

The skipper who led India to the historic 2025 World Cup win has stepped down from her role in all three formats. Harmanpreet Kaur is stepping down as the captain of the India women's cricket team When Harmanpreet Kaur scored that unforgettable World Cup century against Australia in the 2017 semi-final, she not only changed the course of a match but the trajectory of women's cricket in India. India went on to lose the final to England that year but women's cricket no longer remained a passing pursuit for the average Indian fan. That dogged zeal to win she infused into the team helped them lift India's first women's World Cup trophy – the same feat that had eluded them in 2017 – in emphatic fashion eight years later.

Less than a year on, and within weeks of victories in the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, she has relinquished the captaincy, ending an era in which she became the team's most influential leader and one of the most recognisable figures in the sport. Star opener Smriti Mandhana, her long-time deputy, has been appointed captain across all formats. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia, coach Amol Muzumdar, Harmanpreet and Mandhana attended the review meeting at which the leadership change was ratified. The transition, however, was