Indian batsman Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of the national team in all three formats of international cricket.
Harmanpreet has captained India in five Tests, 51 one-day internationals and 155 T20 internationals and won the World Cup 50-over last year, leading his country to its first global championship.
The 37-year-old last captained his country on September 22 when he helped them win their second Asian Games title against Sri Lanka.
He will be replaced by wicketkeeper Smriti Mandhana, who has already skipped the side in limited-overs games.
In a post on Instagram, externalHarmanpreet said he had left the Indian side in a “good place” and was now “ready to play for the love of the game again”.
“This is not an easy decision,” Harmanpreet wrote. “It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“I have given everything to this team and to Indian women’s cricket – my blood, my sweat, my time and many times a part of my game and my personal ambitions.
“There were moments when I had to put aside my individual performance, my own development and what I wanted for myself, because I believed that the team should come first.
“As a captain, I had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes at a personal cost. But every decision I made was with one intention – to make this TEAM better and to give other players the opportunity to grow, believe in themselves and become the best versions of themselves.”
Harmanpreet, who captained India for the first time in 2012, led his side to victory in the one-off Test against England at Lord’s in July.
However, India exited the T20 World Cup in the group stage earlier in the month, failing to reach the semi-finals of the tournament for the second time in a row.
Mandhana, 30, previously captained India in 18 T20s and four ODIs.
She also captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two Women’s Premier League titles.
He said: “It is a very special honor to be given the responsibility of leading India and the opportunity to lead the team is something I will deeply appreciate.”
India is set to host Zimbabwe from October 16 for three T20s and three ODIs.