A year after leading India to its maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title, Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday stepped down as captain of the national team across all three formats. Later in the day, the BCCI named vice-captain Smriti Mandhana as her successor.Harmanpreet announced her decision on Instagram. “This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” the 37-year-old wrote.The announcement came a day after the BCCI held a review meeting in Guwahati, attended by Harmanpreet, Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar.In her post, Harmanpreet spoke about making personal sacrifices she made as captain. “I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket — my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions. There were moments when I had to put my individual performance, my own growth, and what I wanted for myself aside, because I believed the team had to come first,” she added.Harmanpreet, who made her T20I and ODI debuts in 2009, captained India in 211 matches — five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. In 2018, she led the team to the T20 World Cup semifinals after having taken over the full-time role from Mithali Raj. She followed that up with a runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in 2020.In red-ball cricket, she led India to a 347-run win over England, which remains the biggest victory margin in women’s Tests.Harmanpreet also captained India to three T20 Asia Cup titles (2016, 2022, 2026) and two Asian Games gold medals (2023, 2026). Her biggest achievement as captain, though, came last year, when she led India to the ODI World Cup triumph, ending the women’s team’s long wait for a world title.“I have seen it all. Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will. I feel I have done my duty. I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women’s cricket,” she wrote in her post.