Smriti Mandhana to captain India in first T20I against Zimbabwe women
Smriti Mandhana takes over as India's full-time T20I captain for the first time against Zimbabwe women in Raipur on Friday.
Smriti Mandhana will lead India for the first time as full-time captain when the women's team takes on Zimbabwe in the opening T20I in Raipur on Friday. Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role recently, and Mandhana was appointed her successor. The match starts at 7 pm IST and will be streamed on the JioHotstar app and televised on the Star Sports Network.
India have named a 15-member squad that includes Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma. Zimbabwe are led by Josephine Nkomo and have Modester Mupachikwa as wicketkeeper. The three-match series is India's first assignment after the conclusion of their white-ball commitments against the West Indies.
Mandhana has previously led India in limited matches and will now take charge for a longer period as the team prepares for future ICC events.
CricHubb Take
Mandhana's appointment marks a deliberate shift toward younger leadership in the women's team ahead of the 2028 T20 World Cup cycle.