The 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the Indian team with immediate effect. She has been one of the most influential figures in Indian women’s cricket over the past decade.

From becoming India’s first player to score a century in women’s T20I cricket to leading the team across all three formats, Harmanpreet has played a major role in shaping the modern Indian women’s side.

Her captaincy record is particularly interesting because she has led India in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, handling three formats that demand very different leadership approaches.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s record as India Test captain

Harmanpreet has had limited opportunities to captain India in the red-ball format because women’s Tests are played far less frequently than white-ball matches.

However, her leadership in the longest format has come during an important period for Indian women’s cricket, when the team has increasingly embraced multi-format cricket.

Test cricket requires patience, tactical flexibility and the ability to plan across long periods. Harmanpreet’s experience as a senior international player has helped her bring that understanding to the longest format.

While her Test captaincy numbers are based on a relatively small sample, her leadership has added another dimension to an already impressive international career.

Harmanpreet’s ODI captaincy record

Harmanpreet’s ODI captaincy record is arguably the most closely followed because India have traditionally played more ODIs than Tests.

She took over as India’s full-time ODI captain in 2017, succeeding Mithali Raj in the leadership group and eventually becoming one of the central figures of the Indian team.

One of the defining moments of Harmanpreet’s career came during the 2017 Women’s World Cup, when she smashed an unforgettable 171 against Australia in the semi-finals. Although India ultimately lost the final to England, the tournament helped establish Harmanpreet as one of the biggest stars in women’s cricket.

As captain, she has had the responsibility of leading India through World Cups, bilateral series and major ICC events. Her leadership style has generally been built around aggression, confidence and backing experienced players.
ODI cricket has also allowed Harmanpreet to showcase her own batting ability while carrying the additional responsibility of captaincy.

Harmanpreet’s T20I captaincy record

The T20I format has arguably been the biggest part of Harmanpreet’s captaincy career.

She became India’s T20I captain in 2016, taking over the leadership role from Mithali Raj. Under Harmanpreet, India have developed into a competitive side in women’s T20 cricket, with the captain herself often playing an important role in the middle order.

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Her T20I captaincy has included multiple Women’s T20 World Cups, bilateral series and major tournaments.

One of the most memorable moments of her T20I career came in 2018, when she became the first Indian woman to score a century in T20I cricket. Her 103 against New Zealand remains an important milestone in Indian women’s cricket history.

Harmanpreet’s leadership in T20 cricket has also coincided with the rapid growth of women’s franchise cricket. Her experience in competitions such as the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has further strengthened her understanding of the shortest format.

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