India, Oct. 6 -- Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of the Indian women's cricket team across formats on Tuesday, bringing the curtains down on a landmark leadership stint that saw India win their maiden ODI World Cup (2025) and make history at Lord's (2026). The 37-year-old, who first took charge of the T20I team in 2016 and became full-time ODI and Test captain in 2022, says the decision had been on her mind for some time.

'Giving it up was emotional'

"After leading India for 10 years, captaincy becomes a part of your identity, so giving it up was emotional. It has been one of the greatest responsibilities and honours of my life," Kaur tells us. She adds, "I believe leadership is also about knowing when the team needs a change, ...