When Harmanpreet Kaur scored an unforgettable World Cup century against Australia in the 2017 semi-final, she not only changed the course of the match but also the trajectory of women’s cricket in India.
India lost the final to England that year, but women’s cricket was no longer a passing pursuit for the average Indian fan.
The winning spirit she instilled in the team helped them lift India’s first women’s World Cup trophy – the same feat they missed out on in 2017 – eight years later.
Less than a year passed, and a few weeks after victories in the Asian Cup and Asian Games, he relinquished the captaincy, ending a period in which he had become the team’s most influential leader and one of the sport’s most recognizable figures.
Star opener Smriti Mandhana, his long-time deputy, was named captain in all formats.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia, coach Amol Muzumdar, Harmanpreet and Mandhana attended the review meeting where the management change was ratified. However, the transition was not entirely without problems.
Reports suggest that the 37-year-old Harmanpreet was ready to give up the T20 captaincy immediately, but intended to continue leading the side in One Day Internationals and Tests so that younger players can benefit from his experience.
However, the BCCI opted for a younger man at the helm and chose the 30-year-old Mandhana.
In some ways, the move mirrors the BCCI’s decision to replace Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the men’s T20 team shortly after India won the World Cup earlier this year, when the captaincy went to Shreyas Iyer.
Harmanpreet’s future as captain had become a topic of intense debate in cricket circles after India’s subpar performance in the T20 World Cup in England a few months back.
Her poor form with the bat has fueled concerns and prompted the BCCI to consider changes that could help the team address the growing challenges of the women’s game, which continues to expand rapidly around the world.
Approaching his 38th birthday and after almost a decade in charge, Harmanpreet found himself under increasing scrutiny as his form dipped.