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In less than two hours after she announced through social media that she was stepping down as India’s captain , the traffic on Harmanpreet Kaur’s Instagram page reflected not just the distance she has travelled as a cricketer, but the journey women’s cricket has undertaken from the humblest of starts imaginable. India won all those three in resounding fashion. So, it is over: the reign of the most successful captain in Indian women’s cricket. She has quit as captain right after leading India to some significant triumphs. Her last three assignments: the Asian Games, the Asia Cup and the first-ever Women’s Test at Lord’s. Yes, before that, there was a major disappointment at the T20 World Cup in England, where India failed to make it to the knockout stage. That was India’s first ever victory in a global ICC tournament. She led her women from the front during that unforgettable campaign, which had gone so wrong at one stage that they were in a must-win situation in game after game. And now she has given the new captain — Smriti Mandhana, in all likelihood — enough time to settle into the job before India’s next big event.
But, last year, Harmanpreet had led the Women in Blue to their biggest moment ever — the ODI World Cup, that too at home.