Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats, bringing an end to her leadership tenure following a review meeting conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Guwahati. The development comes despite India recently winning two major titles, with the team lifting the Women’s Asia Cup in the UAE before securing the gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan.

Harmanpreet Kaur quits Indian team’s captaincy

The BCCI held a review meeting in Guwahati on Monday to assess the Indian women’s team and discuss the road ahead. Harmanpreet attended the meeting alongside vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia presided over the meeting, which took place amid growing calls for a change in leadership. While India’s recent performances had provided plenty of positives to discuss, Harmanpreet’s position as captain remained one of the key subjects on the agenda.

The meeting also included discussions regarding the future of Muzumdar as head coach. Hours after the meeting, it emerged that Harmanpreet had decided to resign from captaincy across all three formats. Her decision marks a significant change for an Indian women’s side that has experienced both disappointment and success under her leadership.

T20 World Cup exit proved a turning point

The pressure surrounding Harmanpreet’s captaincy intensified following the Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year in England, where India failed to progress to the knockout stages. The early exit triggered questions over the team’s leadership and prompted calls for Harmanpreet to be removed from the captaincy. However, India responded strongly in the months that followed, putting together an impressive run across two major competitions.

The team won the Women’s Asia Cup in the UAE and followed it up by claiming the gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan. The back-to-back triumphs offered India a major boost and appeared to help change the narrative surrounding the team after the World Cup disappointment. Despite that turnaround, the developments surrounding Harmanpreet suggest that the questions over her future had remained significant within the BCCI.

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BCCI looks towards Smriti Mandhana

With Harmanpreet stepping aside, the BCCI is understood to be looking toward Mandhana as the potential new leader of the Indian women’s team. Mandhana has been Harmanpreet’s long-time deputy and is now expected to be at the centre of India’s plans for the next phase of the team’s development. The focus will particularly be on the next World Cup and the LA Olympic Games, making the leadership transition an important decision for Indian cricket.

A formal announcement regarding the new captain is expected when the selectors meet to pick India’s squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe series. That meeting could take place as early as Tuesday. The change therefore comes at a crucial stage for the Indian women’s team, with the BCCI now preparing to begin a new chapter under potentially new leadership.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.