India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 2026: Schedule and Squads

A First Ever Meeting: Mandhana's India Welcome Zimbabwe for Six Historic Matches

What is the series?

Three T20Is in Raipur, followed by three ODIs in Vadodara, from Friday, October 16 to Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

Why is it historic?

It is the first time India and Zimbabwe will meet in women's international cricket at any level, and Zimbabwe's first tour of India.

Who are the captains?

Smriti Mandhana starts her time as India's full-time captain. Josephine Nkomo leads Zimbabwe.

What time do matches start?

T20Is at 7:00 PM IST and ODIs at 2:00 PM IST.

The Story: A New Era for India, a Big Stage for Zimbabwe

For India, this series marks the start of a new chapter. Smriti Mandhana takes over as full-time captain across formats, after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role. Harmanpreet stays in both squads as a player. It is India's first assignment since the women's team retained their Asian Games gold in Aichi-Nagoya.

For Zimbabwe, it is the biggest tour in their history. They arrive in confident mood after beating West Indies by four wickets in Harare last month, their first-ever ICC Women's Championship win over the Caribbean side.

For readers new to cricket, here is how the two formats differ:

• T20 International (T20I): each team bats for up to 20 overs (an over is six legal deliveries), and a match lasts about three hours.
• One Day International (ODI): 50 overs per side, played over most of a day.

The ODIs are part of the ICC Women's Championship, the league that decides direct qualification for the Women's Cricket World Cup, so every point matters. The T20Is do not count towards it.

Full Schedule (Local, Zimbabwe and ET)

Local time is India Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30). Zimbabwe uses Central Africa Time (CAT, UTC+2). ET is US Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4). Every match starts on the same calendar date in all three zones. In Pakistan, T20Is start at 6:30 PM and ODIs at 1:30 PM.

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Squads

India Women: T20I Squad

India Women: ODI Squad

India talking points:

• Niki Prasad and Jintimani Kalita earn maiden T20I call-ups after impressing for India A.
• Anushka Sharma, Minnu Mani and Prema Rawat return to the T20I group. Prema took eight wickets in five matches as India won the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars.
• Tejal Hasabnis and Sayali Satghare are recalled for the ODIs, with Hasabnis fresh from an unbeaten 57 for India A against England A.
• Shreyanka Patil misses out with an injury.

Zimbabwe Women: Squad for Both Formats

Zimbabwe talking points:

• The squad is unchanged from the group that played West Indies.
• Beloved Biza was Zimbabwe's leading ODI run-scorer in that series, and Kelis Ndhlovu topped the T20I runs.
• Nyasha Gwanzura and Michelle Mavunga shared seven wickets in the historic ODI win over West Indies.

Players to Watch

Smriti Mandhana (c): India's star opener begins her full-time captaincy. She has already led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, and captained RCB to WPL titles in 2024 and 2026.

Shafali Verma: The explosive opener and T20I vice-captain can take a game away in the powerplay.

Deepti Sharma: ODI vice-captain and one of the world's best all-rounders.

Josephine Nkomo (c): Leads Zimbabwe on the biggest tour of their history.

Beloved Biza: Zimbabwe's top ODI run-scorer against West Indies.

Kelis Ndhlovu: Zimbabwe's leading T20I run-scorer in their most recent series.

Stat Corner

Start Times at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Zimbabwe Women's tour of India start?

Friday, October 16, 2026, with the 1st T20I in Raipur at 7:00 PM IST.

Have India and Zimbabwe women played each other before?

No. This is the first meeting between the two sides in women's international cricket at any level.

Who is India's captain?

Smriti Mandhana, in her first series as full-time captain. Harmanpreet Kaur, who stepped down from the captaincy, is still in both squads.

Where are the matches being played?

The T20Is are at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, and the ODIs at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara.

Do the ODIs count for World Cup qualification?

Yes. The three ODIs are part of the ICC Women's Championship.

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