India Women predicted playing XI for 1st T20I vs Zimbabwe Women
Smriti Mandhana leads India in her first captaincy assignment against Zimbabwe in Raipur.
India Women begin their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe Women on October 16 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The squad announcement came on October 6, 2026, with Smriti Mandhana named captain in her first leadership role across both formats.
Here are the India Women predicted playing XI for 1st T20I vs ZIM W:
Top Order: Shafali Varma, Smriti Mandhana (C), Harmanpreet Kaur
Mandhana brings substantial experience to the captaincy, having scored 4867 runs across 179 T20Is. Shafali Verma takes the vice-captaincy role and has accumulated 3325 runs in 119 T20I appearances. The opening pair of Verma and Mandhana will be crucial to India's start against Zimbabwe in this series. Harmanpreet Kaur completes the top order after scoring 4346 runs in 210 T20I matches. Her experience and consistency make her a vital middle-order anchor for India's batting lineup. Kaur's presence at number three provides stability and the ability to accelerate when required against the Zimbabwe bowling attack.
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