Mandhana targets standards in Zimbabwe series before Champions Trophy
Mandhana said India must set performance benchmarks in the six-match series against Zimbabwe before the Women's Champions Trophy.
Smriti Mandhana said India will use the upcoming six-match series against Zimbabwe to set standards ahead of the Women's Champions Trophy in February 2027. The three-match T20I series begins on October 16 in Raipur and marks Mandhana's first assignment as full-time captain after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down earlier this month.
Mandhana has led India on an interim basis in 18 T20Is and four ODIs before taking the permanent role. She has 4,867 T20I runs at an average of 31.00 and a strike rate of 127, including two centuries and 37 fifties. The ODI series follows the T20Is with matches in Vadodara on October 23, 25 and 28.
India's T20I squad includes Niki Prasad and Jintimani Kalita as new faces while Nandani Sharma joins the ODI squad. The six T20Is before the Champions Trophy give the team a limited window to refine combinations and approach.
CricHubb Take
The series offers Mandhana a low-pressure environment to test combinations and refine strategy before the high-stakes Champions Trophy. Early decisions on batting order and bowling combinations will shape India's template for the next three months.