India women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur made history in Dubai by becoming the first cricketer, male or female, to lead a team in 150 T20 International matches.
India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur scripted history on Saturday, becoming the first cricketer—male or female—to lead a side in 150 T20 International matches. She achieved the landmark during India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A clash against Pakistan in Dubai.
The milestone puts Harmanpreet comfortably clear at the top of the all-time leadership appearances list in T20I cricket. In the women's game, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu trails her with 121 matches as captain, followed by Australia’s Meg Lanning (100), alongside England’s Heather Knight and Rwanda’s Diane Bimenyimana (96 each). Harmanpreet also stands well ahead of the leading men’s T20I captains, surpassing Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus (91 matches) and former India captain MS Dhoni (72 matches).
Despite the magnitude of the personal record, the India skipper remained focused on the joy of playing. "Great achievement. But the key is to keep enjoying yourself on the field," Harmanpreet said after reaching the 150-match landmark.
The record-setting match was India's final Group A fixture, having already booked a spot in the semi-finals with earlier victories over Thailand and Hong Kong, China. In the Dubai encounter, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and opted to bat first, aiming to post a strong total for her side's bowling attack.
Harmanpreet has been at the helm of India’s T20I team since 2012, having made her international debut back in 2009. Listed by the ICC as a right-handed batter and off-break bowler, she continues to serve as a central figure for India across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
Reporting sourced from NorthEast Now Sports (Manipur/NE). Photo courtesy NorthEast Now Sports (Manipur/NE).