India, Oct. 7 -- H armanpreet 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. "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, and also for me to take it a little easy and view life from a different lens. Stepping down doesn't mean I now have less hunger or less to contribute. I still have a lot of cricket left in me, and I want to continue serving Indian cricket as a player." Kaur says the call was a gradual one. "I had been thinking about it for some time and reflecting on what would be best for the next phase of Indian women's cricket. For me, this decision is about putting the team and the future of women's cricket ahead of any individual position. I want the next generation to have the opportunity to lead and create their own legacy." 06...