India captain Harmanpreet Kaur etched her name into the history books on Friday by becoming the most successful captain in women’s T20 internationals.
The milestone came during India’s commanding eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third T20I of the five-match series at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
With this win, Harmanpreet moved past former Australia skipper Meg Lanning, registering her 77th victory as captain in women’s T20Is. She achieved the feat in 130 matches, surpassing Lanning’s long-standing record of 76 wins from 100 games.
The achievement underlines Harmanpreet’s growing legacy as one of the most influential leaders in women’s cricket.
Despite the historic milestone, the 36-year-old remained modest and was quick to credit her teammates for the success. Harmanpreet emphasized that the record was the result of a strong collective effort rather than an individual achievement.
India’s victory over Sri Lanka was built on a complete team performance. The bowlers laid the foundation with disciplined spells that restricted the visitors, allowing the batters to chase down the target comfortably.
The win also sealed another dominant display for the Indian side, which has looked increasingly confident and aggressive in the shortest format.
This latest record adds to what has already been a memorable year for Harmanpreet Kaur. In November, she guided India to their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title, leading the team to a famous 52-run victory over South Africa in the final at the Dr.
D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. That triumph marked a turning point for Indian women’s cricket and further cemented Harmanpreet’s reputation as a big-match leader.
Reflecting on the T20I series against Sri Lanka, Harmanpreet expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall improvement and mindset.
She noted that the squad had focused on raising its standards following the World Cup success, particularly with an eye on the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for June 2026.
“It was a great series for all of us. That’s what we discussed when we got together after the World Cup: we have to raise our standard and be a little more aggressive in T20 cricket,”
Harmanpreet said. “The T20 World Cup is coming up, and this is the right time to push ourselves.”
She also praised the bowling unit for consistently delivering under pressure throughout the series.
“If you keep ticking all the boxes in your bowling department, you have more chances to win games. Today, we are in this position because of our bowlers,” she added.
As India continues to build momentum, Harmanpreet Kaur’s record-breaking leadership will remain central to the team’s ambitions heading into the next major global tournament.
