AI Generated Summary
- From a young cricketer setting out from Moga to captaining India on the world stage and lifting some of the biggest honours in the sport, her journey has become a source of local pride.
- For Dunne Ke village in Punjab’s Moga district, Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to relinquish the captaincy of the Indian women’s cricket team has brought an unexpected turn just days after residents celebrated another milestone in the star cricketer’s career.
- Harmanpreet, meanwhile, is expected to remain at the helm of Mumbai Indians in the next edition of the WPL, even as she moves into a different role within the national side.
For Dunne Ke village in Punjab’s Moga district, Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to relinquish the captaincy of the Indian women’s cricket team has brought an unexpected turn just days after residents celebrated another milestone in the star cricketer’s career.
Harmanpreet announced her decision to step down as captain across Tests, One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals through a post on Instagram. The veteran batter, however, made it clear that she was not walking away from international cricket and intended to continue playing for the country.
Her announcement closes a significant chapter in Indian women’s cricket. Harmanpreet captained India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is, overseeing a period in which the women’s team strengthened its presence on the international stage.
Among the defining achievements of her tenure was India’s maiden ODI World Cup triumph last year. More recently, she led the side to the Asian Games gold medal in Nisshin, Japan — a victory that once again sparked celebrations in her native village.
Residents of Dunne Ke recalled distributing sweets and sharing the news of the gold-medal victory from one household to another. Her decision to give up the captaincy so soon afterwards, they said, came as a surprise, but did little to diminish their pride in her achievements.
For many in the village, the move was also characteristic of the cricketer they have watched rise from Moga to become one of the most recognisable faces of Indian women’s cricket.
A senior resident said Harmanpreet’s decision reflected the qualities of a leader willing to make space for others to take greater responsibility. Leadership, he said, was not merely about occupying the top position but also about preparing others to eventually assume it.
Her father, Harmandar Singh Bhullar, also expressed pride in his daughter’s decision. He said Harmanpreet had consistently focused on strengthening the abilities of her teammates rather than asserting herself through the captain’s position.
According to him, the team had always taken precedence over individual recognition for his daughter, and her decision to relinquish the captaincy was consistent with that approach.
The announcement comes shortly after Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and India head coach Amol Muzumdar met BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati.
Mandhana, who has established herself as one of India’s leading batters and captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Women’s Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026, is considered a leading contender for the national captaincy.
Harmanpreet, meanwhile, is expected to remain at the helm of Mumbai Indians in the next edition of the WPL, even as she moves into a different role within the national side.
For Dunne Ke, however, the change in designation matters little compared with the journey itself. Residents say Harmanpreet has already given the village, Punjab and Indian cricket much to celebrate.
From a young cricketer setting out from Moga to captaining India on the world stage and lifting some of the biggest honours in the sport, her journey has become a source of local pride.
And while another player may now take charge of Team India, those back home say their support for Harmanpreet will remain unchanged.
For Dunne Ke, she does not need the captain’s armband to remain its champion.
