When Harmanpreet Kaur scored that unforgettable World Cup century against Australia in the 2017 semi-final, she not only changed the course of a match but the trajectory of women’s cricket in India.
India went on to lose the final to England that year but women’s cricket no longer remained a passing pursuit for the average Indian fan.
That dogged zeal to win she infused into the team helped them lift India’s first women’s World Cup trophy – the same feat that had eluded them in 2017 – in emphatic fashion eight years later.
Less than a year on, and within weeks of victories in the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, she has relinquished the captaincy, ending an era in which she became the team’s most influential leader and one of the most recognisable figures in the sport.
Star opener Smriti Mandhana, her long-time deputy, has been appointed captain across all formats.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia, coach Amol Muzumdar, Harmanpreet and Mandhana attended the review meeting at which the leadership change was ratified. The transition, however, was not entirely seamless.
Reports suggest the 37-year-old Harmanpreet was willing to relinquish the T20 captaincy immediately, but was keen to continue leading the side in One-Day Internationals and Tests so that younger players could benefit from her experience.
The BCCI, however, was intent on a younger person at the helm and opted for the 30-year-old Mandhana.
In some ways, the move mirrors the BCCI’s decision to replace Suryakumar Yadav as captain of the men’s T20 side shortly after India won the World Cup earlier this year, with the captaincy passing to Shreyas Iyer.
Harmanpreet’s future as captain had become a subject of intense debate in cricketing circles after India’s below-par performance at the T20 World Cup in England a few months ago.
Her own poor form with the bat amplified concerns and prompted the BCCI to consider changes that could help the team meet the growing challenges of a women’s game that continues to expand rapidly around the world.
Approaching her 38th birthday, and after almost a decade at the helm, Harmanpreet found herself under increasing scrutiny as her form dipped.
