Hemlata Kala, the former chief selector of the Indian women's cricket team, says the defining quality of Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy — which came to an end on 7 October 2026 after she stepped down across all formats — was her innate ability to extract the best from every player around her. Speaking less than 24 hours after the announcement, Kala described Harmanpreet as a transformative leader whose aggressive spirit consistently raised the bar for those she led.

A Captain Who Elevated Those Around Her

'I will remember Harman as the Indian captain who knew how to get the best out of the players. It's similar to what Virat Kohli did in his time as India's captain. She always had an aggressive spirit as the Indian skipper and knew how to get the most and best effort out of the players,' Kala said in an exclusive conversation on Wednesday.

Kala was appointed selector in 2015 and became panel chief the following year — placing her at the centre of the decision to hand Harmanpreet the T20I captaincy in 2016. She recalled that Harmanpreet's leadership qualities were visible from the moment she entered the national setup as a hard-hitting youngster. 'From the beginning, she had leadership qualities. She improved day by day in terms of bowling changes and bringing a spirit of togetherness to the team,' Kala added.

The Leadership Change: Months in the Making

According to people tracking developments, the transition was not unexpected — it had been building for months before being formalised at a review meeting in Guwahati. Informal discussions around a change gained momentum particularly after India suffered a second consecutive early exit at the Women's T20 World Cup, even as head coach Amol Muzumdar had publicly backed Harmanpreet to continue.

'The chatter around a leadership change began in earnest right after the trip to England was over. There was a growing consensus that the T20 setup had stagnated under the existing leadership structure, and a fresh perspective was needed,' sources privy to the deliberations said. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the 2028 T20 World Cup, and the 2029 ODI World Cup — where India will go as defending champions — all on the horizon, the case for a fresh start proved decisive.

A Record-Setting Captaincy Tenure

Harmanpreet's captaincy farewell came in the Asian Games gold-medal match, where India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in Nisshin, Japan — a suitably commanding finish. It was a tenure that began with a stand-in role for the 2012 T20 Asia Cup final against Pakistan, when Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami were unavailable.

Across 211 matches in all formats, she won 126, recording a win rate of 59.7%. Her trophy cabinet as skipper includes the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup — making her the first Indian captain to win a senior women's ICC global title — two Asian Games gold medals, multiple Asia Cup wins, a Commonwealth Games silver medal, and the first-ever women's Test victory at Lord's. She also backed emerging match-winners including Shafali Verma, Kranti Gaud, and N Sree Charani, and stood firmly behind Deepti Sharma — now the ODI vice-captain — following the run-out of Charlie Dean at the non-striker's end at Lord's in 2022.

The 2025 World Cup: Her Crowning Moment

Harmanpreet's highest point arrived when India won the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2025, ending the country's long wait for a maiden senior women's ICC title. The campaign wobbled midway, but she led from the front — most notably in the semifinal against Australia, where she scored 89 alongside Jemimah Rodrigues to complete a record chase, before running back to take the catch that sealed the final against South Africa.

Kala recalled the full arc of Harmanpreet's captaincy: 'In 2018, she took the team to the semi-finals. In 2020, India reached the final under her. After we left as selectors, she was there in taking India to the ODI World Cup win. Seeing Harman from the inside as well as from the outside, I believe she improved day by day both as a captain and as a player.'

What Lies Ahead: Smriti Mandhana Takes Charge

With Smriti Mandhana — a two-time WPL-winning captain with Royal Challengers Bengaluru — stepping in as India's new captain, Kala expressed confidence in the transition. 'Smriti has been the vice-captain and has the experience of captaining India and other teams before. There are a lot of things which she can take forward,' she said, adding that while Harmanpreet is aggressive at the helm, Smriti brings a 'cool' and composed style, comparable to Rohit Sharma's leadership approach.

Critically, Kala was unequivocal that Harmanpreet must remain in the playing XI. 'She is a match-winner. There are no middle-order batters like her in the cricketing world right now who can play spinners really well and ruthlessly dismantle their lengths. I don't think there are any doubts in this regard.' Freed from the captaincy burden, Harmanpreet's batting — already legendary — may yet define the next chapter of Indian women's cricket.