Mandhana captaincy era set to begin as India take on Zimbabwe

Raipur: A new chapter in Indian women's cricket will commence on Friday when Smriti Mandhana leads the side as full-time captain for the first time in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe, who are still searching for their first win in the format this year.

Friday’s clash will mark the start of Zimbabwe's first-ever bilateral series against India, and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium is set to host a women's international match for the first time.

Smriti, who takes over from Harmanpreet Kaur after being the vice-captain for almost ten years, inherits a side brimming with confidence after winning the Asia Cup and the Asian Games gold medal. Captaincy is hardly unfamiliar territory for Smriti - she has led Maharashtra in domestic cricket and guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles.

She has also captained India in 18 T20Is, winning 11 and losing six of them, with the first of those coming seven years ago against England in Guwahati when Harmanpreet was injured. Her elevation to captaincy comes when Smriti is at the peak of her batting powers. The left-handed opener has struck two hundreds and 15 fifties in T20Is over the last three years and has pushed her strike rate to a career-best 148.25 in 2026.

While Harmanpreet still remains a key figure in the dressing room, her now being free from leadership duties means she could well be more destructive with the bat. The main selection puzzle to solve for India is the number three slot, left vacant by Jemimah Rodrigues, who is recovering from a right hamstring tear.

G Kamalini batted there twice, but Anushka Sharma and Niki Prasad pushed their case after posting strong showings against Australia A. Prema Rawat could come in with Shreyanka Patil not included for the series. India will also have huge hopes from vice-captain Shafali Verma and left-arm spinner N Sree Charani to continue their sparkling run.

Zimbabwe, led by Josephine Nkomo, have lost all of their T20Is this year and last won in the format against Namibia in September 2025. They will, however, draw belief from their maiden ODI win over the West Indies at home in September. Opener Kelis Ndhlovu, the only Zimbabwean with a T20I fifty this year, will be a key figure with the bat. The three T20Is will be followed by three ODIs in Vadodara from October 23 to 28.

When: October 16, 2026, 7:00 PM

Where: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur

Where to watch: The match will be shown live on the Star Sports Network channels on TV and live-stream is available on the JioHotstar app and website.

Squads

India: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma (vc), Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), G Kamalini (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita, and Minnu Mani

Zimbabwe: Josephine Nkomo (Captain), Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Kelis Ndhlovu, Michelle Mavunga, Francisca Chipare, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Nyasha Gwanzura, Nomvelo Sibanda, Loryn Phiri, Chiyedza Dhururu, Modester Mupachikwa, Tendai Makusha, and Sharne Mayers

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