Harmanpreet Kaur's 10-year stint as captain of the Indian women's cricket team has ended. Harmanpreet has been at the center of some of the biggest moments of Indian women’s cricket, from taking charge in 2016 to leading India to another Asian Games gold medal in 2026.
Under her captaincy, India have reached World Cup finals, won major tournaments, taken new strides in Test cricket, and enjoyed historic success on the world stage. These are 10 defining moments of her captaincy.
1. Taking Charge in 2016
Harmanpreet took over as full-time T20I captain in 2016. It was the dawn of a new era for Indian women's cricket.
At the time, India were still trying to establish themselves as a force in international cricket. Harmanpreet added aggression to the side and emerged as a leader unafraid to take risks.
2. The 2018 Historic T20I Hundred
One of Harmanpreet’s biggest individual moments came during the 2018 T20 World Cup.
She slammed a brilliant 103 against New Zealand to become the first Indian woman to score a T20I century. The innings also showed the fearless cricket she wanted India to play.
It was a big moment for Harmanpreet and for women’s cricket in India.
3. Leading India to the T20 World Cup 2020 Final
The 2020 T20 World Cup was another big chapter in Harmanpreet’s captaincy.
India reached their first-ever T20 World Cup final after going through the group stage unbeaten. The final was played before a massive crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
India were runners-up, but reaching the final showed how far the team had come under Harmanpreet’s leadership.
4. Becoming India’s captain across formats in 2022
Harmanpreet also took over from Mithali Raj as India’s ODI captain on her retirement in 2022.
That made her the all-format leader of the team and added more responsibility on her shoulders. Now she had the task of leading India across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
5. Commonwealth Games Silver 2022
Harmanpreet led India into the final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, where cricket returned.
India lost the gold medal match against Australia and eventually took silver. But it was another important milestone for Indian women’s cricket despite the disappointment.
6. Historic Home Test Wins in 2023
Harmanpreet's leadership proved vital too as India's fortunes in Test cricket continued to flourish.
India won memorable home Tests against England and Australia in 2023. These wins showed that the Indian women’s team can dominate even the best of teams in the longest format.
The wins also revealed the change in depth and confidence in the side.
7. Asian Games 2023 Gold
Another historic moment in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Under Harmanpreet's leadership, India won the gold medal in women’s cricket. It was India’s maiden Asian Games gold in cricket.
The win added yet another major international achievement to Harmanpreet’s captaincy and strengthened India’s position as one of the leading teams in women’s cricket.
8. 2025 ODI World Cup victory
Harmanpreet’s greatest success as captain came in 2025.
India won its first-ever senior Women’s Cricket World Cup title after years of falling just short at the pinnacle of ODI cricket.
For Harmanpreet, it was the ultimate reward for a leadership journey of close to a decade. As captain, the World Cup triumph was the defining moment of her career.
9. MS Dhoni's T20 Captaincy Record broken in 2026
In 2026, Harmanpreet added another record to her name.
Leading her team to her 10th T20 tournament final victory as captain, she overtook former India men's captain MS Dhoni's tally of nine wins.
The achievement reaffirmed her reliability as a leader in the shortest format and added another feather to her remarkable captaincy career.
10. A Golden Farewell in 2026
For Harmanpreet, her last assignment as captain rounded off her career.
She once again led India to gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, defending the title they won in 2023.
It was a fitting end to her decade-long tenure. Harmanpreet retired from captaincy with a legacy of historic achievements after taking India to another major international title.
The decade that changed Indian women’s cricket
Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy era was a spectacular change for Indian women’s cricket from 2016 to 2026.
She led India to World Cup finals, Commonwealth Games glory, historic Test wins and Asian Games gold. Most notably her tenure coincided with a time when women’s cricket in India gained confidence, popularity and ambition.
Her journey to captaining started with the challenge of building a better team. It ended with India taking gold and establishing their stature as a global power.
A decade, countless milestones and several historic victories later, Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as captain, one of the most influential leaders in the history of Indian women’s cricket.