Smriti Mandhana's First Series as India Captain: India Women vs Zimbabwe Schedule, Squads and What to Watch
India's world champions host Zimbabwe for the first time, with three T20Is in Raipur and three ODIs in Vadodara from October 16. A new era begins as Mandhana takes over from Harmanpreet Kaur.
A new chapter in Indian women's cricket begins this week. Smriti Mandhana will lead India as full-time captain for the first time when Zimbabwe Women tour India from October 16, for three T20Is in Raipur and three ODIs in Vadodara.
It is also a first in another sense: according to reports, this will be the first-ever women's international series between India and Zimbabwe.
Quick answer
- Captain: Smriti Mandhana in both formats. Shafali Verma is T20I vice-captain and Deepti Sharma ODI vice-captain.
- Harmanpreet Kaur stays in both squads as a player.
- T20Is (Raipur): October 16, 18 and 20, at 7 pm IST.
- ODIs (Vadodara): October 23, 25 and 28, at 2 pm IST.
- Where to watch: on the Star Sports network on TV and JioHotstar for streaming, according to CricTracker.
Full schedule
- 1st T20I: Friday, October 16, Raipur, 7 pm
- 2nd T20I: Sunday, October 18, Raipur, 7 pm
- 3rd T20I: Tuesday, October 20, Raipur, 7 pm
- 1st ODI: Friday, October 23, Vadodara, 2 pm
- 2nd ODI: Sunday, October 25, Vadodara, 2 pm
- 3rd ODI: Wednesday, October 28, Vadodara, 2 pm
The ODIs are India's first 50-over matches at home since their World Cup win in November 2025.
The captaincy change
The BCCI announced the squads on October 6 and, the same day, named Mandhana as captain, while acknowledging Harmanpreet Kaur's leadership and contribution. Harmanpreet led India for several years, including the historic 2025 Women's World Cup triumph, and remains a key batter in both squads.
Mandhana, the stylish left-handed opener, has been vice-captain for a long time and has also captained in Harmanpreet's absence. This series is her first as the permanent leader, and the start of a build-up towards the next global tournaments.
India's squads
T20I squad: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma (vice-captain), Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), G Kamalini (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita, Minnu Mani.
ODI squad: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma (vice-captain), Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Renuka Thakur.
Zimbabwe will be led by Josephine Nkomo.
Players to watch
- Smriti Mandhana: how she balances captaincy with her role as India's most consistent opener.
- Shafali Verma: explosive at the top, and now a vice-captain, a sign the selectors see her as a future leader.
- Richa Ghosh: one of the cleanest strikers in women's cricket, crucial at the finish.
- Kranti Gaud and Sree Charani: young bowlers who could get extended runs.
- G Kamalini and Niki Prasad: promising youngsters who have come through the junior ranks.
- Deepti Sharma: the all-rounder and new ODI vice-captain, India's most reliable spin option.
What to expect
Zimbabwe are ranked well below India and are less experienced against top teams, so India will start as clear favourites. That makes the series a good chance to:
- try new combinations under the new captain;
- give game time to young players such as Kamalini, Niki Prasad and Prema Rawat;
- test bench strength in the ODIs.
For Zimbabwe, playing the world champions in Indian conditions is a valuable learning experience, and part of the wider growth of women's cricket.
The venues
- Raipur: the T20Is will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Nava Raipur, one of India's largest cricket grounds. Evening dew can make bowling harder in the second innings, so captains often prefer to chase.
- Vadodara: the ODIs are at the Kotambi Stadium, the Baroda Cricket Association's newer ground on the city's outskirts, which has already hosted women's matches, including the Women's Premier League.
For tickets, follow the BCCI's official announcements and the state associations' channels, and avoid unofficial resellers.
Women's cricket keeps growing
India's World Cup win in 2025 brought record viewing figures and new fans to the women's game. A home series, even against a lower-ranked side, keeps that momentum going. Fans in Raipur and Vadodara will get a rare chance to watch the champions live.
Related reading
Sources
This article draws on the following reporting. Dates are when each source was originally published.
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