New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Former India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur reflected on the lessons she learned while leading the national side for more than a decade, saying the responsibility taught her to face both criticism and success head-on while remaining committed to the team’s progress.
Harmanpreet, who took over the captaincy in 2012 and recently stepped down after leading India at the Asian Games, said leadership had taught her to take responsibility through every phase of the team’s journey.
“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,” Harmanpreet told IANS exclusively.
Harmanpreet’s captaincy tenure encompassed some of the most significant moments in the growth of Indian women’s cricket, including the team’s World Cup triumph. Looking back, she said the position was never about personal stature but about using her experience and ideas to contribute to the development of the team and the sport.
“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,” she added.
Her leadership, she said, also came with an understanding that personal objectives could sometimes take a back seat when the larger interests of the team demanded it.
“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,” she stated.
Harmanpreet also spoke about the importance of developing leadership qualities within the entire squad rather than allowing responsibility to rest solely with the captain.
“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,” the ODI World Cup-winning skipper said.
For Harmanpreet, the end of her captaincy is therefore not a rejection of leadership, but a change in the way she contributes to the side. With Smriti Mandhana now taking charge, she said she is looking forward to supporting a teammate with whom she has shared a long cricketing journey.
“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,” she stated.
The decision to step away, Harmanpreet stressed, was not prompted by a particular setback or tournament. Instead, it was part of her own assessment of where she wanted her career to go next.
“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,” Harman expressed.
As she moves into the next phase of her career, Harmanpreet believes the leadership experience accumulated over the years will continue to shape the player she is, even without the captain’s title.
–IANS
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