Harmanpreet Kaur relinquishes India captaincy after World Cup triumph

Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as India captain after leading the side to its first ICC Women's ODI World Cup title. The 34-year-old from Moga took the catch that sealed India's victory in the final.

She fought to play the sport as a child, then fought to be taken seriously by selectors and media. Before the 2017 ODI World Cup, she told a media trainer that no one wanted to listen to the players' stories. Nine years later, India enters every major tournament as one of the favourites and its women players have become household names. Former selector Neetu David described the fighting spirit as something in her blood as a sardarni.

Harmanpreet now gets to play without the burden of captaincy. She first picked up cricket after trying hockey and impressed coach Kamaldeesh Pal Singh Sodhi by hitting sixes while playing with boys. Her early focus on power hitting shaped her approach to the game.