Captaincy taught me to stand on the frontline and take responsibility: Harmanpreet Kaur

NEW DELHI: 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. (IANS)

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