‘I know Smriti will take this team forward’: Harmanpreet backs her long-time teammate for new role

New Delhi, Oct 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur believes that her team is in safe hands with Smriti Mandhana taking over the captaincy baton, backing her long-time teammate to take the team forward after a leadership journey that spanned more than a decade.

Harmanpreet, who took over the responsibility of leading India in 2012, stepped down as captain across all formats on Tuesday, bringing an end to a significant chapter of her career. Her decision came after India’s Asian Games campaign, where the team won the gold medal, but Harmanpreet made it clear that the move was not prompted by one particular tournament or result.

Instead, she said the decision was driven by her desire to enjoy the game more, focus on her own cricket and make time for family and friends, while continuing to contribute to the team through her experience and mentorship.

The 37-year-old, who led India to their maiden ODI World Cup title, also spoke about her relationship with Mandhana, with whom she has shared the Indian dressing room for more than a decade. Harmanpreet said their long-standing understanding would continue to be valuable as they move into a new phase, with Mandhana now leading the side.

In an exclusive interaction with IANS, Harmanpreet opened up about her decision to step down, what captaincy taught her, her relationship with Mandhana and her ambitions as a player going forward.

IANS: You have said this decision was about putting the team and its future ahead of an individual position. When did you first begin to feel that Indian cricket needed a new voice in the captaincy, and what finally convinced you that the time had come?

Harmanpreet Kaur: For over a decade, since the responsibility of captaincy first came to me in 2012, I have cherished the opportunity and made several plans towards the development of Indian women’s cricket. It was never about an individual position. I simply wanted to use my instincts, experience and ideas to help the sport grow, encourage talent and fill the spaces that needed to be filled. Over the years, I have also realised that you may not achieve everything you set out to, and that is the nature of a team sport. Every day is different, and every player has a different journey. Whatever championships we have won as a team have added to our collective pride. This decision to step down is purely based on how I see my own growth in the sport I love. I wanted to pass on the baton for my own reasons — to play with more enjoyment, while continuing to be there for my team with my experience, quality and mentorship.

IANS: For almost a decade, captaincy has been intertwined with your identity as a cricketer. Now that responsibility is gone, what part of Harmanpreet Kaur do you think the captaincy had forced you to suppress, and are you looking forward to rediscovering that player?

Harmanpreet: Throughout my tenure, I served my team and my country, and it was never about me. It was always about bringing the team together, winning together, and celebrating every moment as a collective victory. Even on days when things didn’t go our way, we stood by each other. I feel responsibility, captaincy, and leadership will always remain a part of me, and I believe that leadership should evolve in every player who represents the country and has goals to achieve.

I have always wanted to plant that seed of leadership in every player because it teaches you to be responsible, accountable, empathetic, giving, and kind, while also making you sharper and more decisive. Now, as a player, I am looking forward to seeing someone else lead from the front and create an environment for the team. And I am very happy that it is Smriti, who has been alongside me for more than a decade. We have shared the same table, made decisions together and seen Indian cricket evolve, so I know that understanding will continue to be valuable.

IANS: You have spoken about putting your own game and personal ambitions aside for the team. In hindsight, do you feel captaincy came at a cost to Harmanpreet the batter, and is one reason for stepping away to give yourself a chance to put your batting first again?

Harmanpreet: As a player, you have a certain freedom to make choices, but as a captain, there are times when you have to put aside your personal dilemmas and move forward because you have a team following you. I wouldn’t say I had to compromise on my personal performances, but yes, sometimes my personal goals and targets had to take a back seat. I have always put my batting first, even during my captaincy, but now I want to approach my game with even more clarity — understanding my role, executing it well and, most importantly, enjoying every bit of cricket.

IANS: You leave the captaincy as the first Indian woman to win an ODI World Cup. Does that triumph make it easier to walk away, because you feel you have completed the one unfinished chapter that followed you for years?

Harmanpreet: Winning the World Cup was one big dream I wanted to live. And thankfully, it came in the early years of my journey as the ODI captain. Today, what stays with me is immense satisfaction and gratitude. There are no regrets. It hasn’t been as easy as we sometimes make it sound, but it also hasn’t been as difficult as it may seem from the outside. I am simply grateful for the journey and for everything we have achieved together.

IANS: Your decision came immediately after the Asian Games, where you led India to another gold. Was that the moment that gave you a sense of closure, that you could hand over the team while leaving it in a position you genuinely trusted?

Harmanpreet: The Asian Games gold was another very special moment for us as a team. Every championship and every medal has its own significance, and winning that gold gave me a lot of happiness and pride. But my decision was not based on one particular tournament or one particular result. It was a decision I arrived at after giving it a lot of thought and understanding what I wanted for myself and for my journey as a cricketer. I feel very confident about the team and the players we have today. There is a lot of talent, hunger and experience within the group, and that gives me great confidence about the future of Indian women’s cricket.

IANS: There is a difference between being the senior-most player in a dressing room and being the person responsible for every decision. How do you see your relationship with Smriti Mandhana changing now — from captain and vice-captain to two senior players sharing responsibility for the same team?

Harmanpreet: Smriti and I have spent our peak years in this journey together. From training together and being at the NCA, to eating together and even playing video games, we have seen it all. Most importantly, we have always had a strong understanding of each other, and I believe that will benefit us even more now. I will be very happy to support her and stand alongside her as she performs her role as captain. We have built this team together over the years, so I am sure that the energy, trust and understanding between us will remain the same going forward.

IANS: You have experienced the criticism, the near-misses, the World Cup heartbreaks and finally the World Cup victory. Looking back, what did captaincy teach you about Indian women’s cricket that you could never have learnt simply by being a player?

Harmanpreet: The criticism came with the expectations people had of us. Sometimes it does hurt when you don’t meet your own expectations as a team, and of course, when the people watching and supporting you are also expecting you to do well. Captaincy taught me to stand on the frontline and take responsibility — not just for the criticism, but also for the victories. It taught me that leadership is about standing with your team through every phase, learning from every experience and continuing to move forward.

IANS: Do you think Indian women’s cricket has now reached a stage where the captain no longer needs to carry the emotional weight of the entire team, and was that also part of your thinking in deciding to step aside?

Harmanpreet: The team is in a very good place, but that doesn’t mean the captain has any less responsibility. Every day brings new challenges and decisions that have to be made in the best interest of the team, and that part will never change. For me, stepping aside was not about feeling any burden. It was purely based on my personal desire to enjoy cricket and life at the same time, and to find more time for my family, friends and the things I have wanted to do.

IANS: You have said, “Captaincy ends. The journey continues.” What does that journey look like now? Is there a different kind of ambition you want to pursue as a player, without the responsibility of having to think about the next selection, the next combination or the next result?

Harmanpreet: The journey looks no different to me as a cricketer, except that my role as captain has changed. The leadership within me will always remain, and I will continue to make my personal decisions with greater clarity while helping the team wherever my experience and inputs can add value. And the dream is definitely not over. The trophies are not finished either. I am still hungry to contribute, perform and win more trophies for my country and for all the fans who have shown me constant love and support over the years.

IANS: If you could speak to the Harmanpreet who first captained India in 2012, when the opportunity came almost unexpectedly, what would you tell her about the decade that followed, and about knowing when it is time to let someone else lead?

Harmanpreet: When the baton was passed on to me, I took it with full responsibility and gave it everything I had. Somewhere along the way, I always knew that one day I would have to pass that baton on to someone else. I would tell that younger Harmanpreet to enjoy the journey, embrace every challenge, and never be afraid of change. This is not the end of a journey. It is simply another beginning — another opportunity for an athlete to achieve goals, make memories and continue contributing to the team. I am happy and grateful that whatever I could do for my country during my tenure has been celebrated, and that my journey has been able to inspire people.

IANS: Lastly, girls have grown up watching Harmanpreet Kaur, the all-rounder. With you getting time to focus purely and solely on yourself and your game, will we be seeing the all-rounder in you return? Will you be taking up the ball more regularly now?

Harmanpreet: Absolutely. Whenever and wherever my team requires me to perform a particular role, I will be happy to do it. For myself, I want to focus on my routines, enjoy my time and celebrate the environment that is so close to my heart, being on the field, being with my team and simply enjoying cricket. If the team needs me with the ball, I will always be ready to contribute.

Source: IANS