India Women take on Zimbabwe Women in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Friday, October 16.
Smriti Mandhana's first assignment as captain of the side across formats comes against Zimbabwe, with the star batter looking to lead her side to victory with a dominant performance. The team comes off victories in the Asian Games and the Asia Cup, and will be looking to continue the same form.
Zimbabwe will be looking to make a statement against one of the strongest teams in the women's game. They come into this series on the back of a series against West Indies, where they were beaten 3-0 and will be looking to put up a better showing.
IND W vs ZIM W: Match Details
| Match | England Women vs India Women, 1st T20I, India Women vs Zimbabwe Women, 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Friday, October 16, 2026, 7:00 PM (IST) |
| Venue | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur |
| Broadcast and Live-Streaming | Star Sports Network (TV), JioStar (Streaming - App and Website) |
Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur: Pitch Report
The pitch at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur has favoured bowling sides, due to the inconsistent nature of the bounce off the surface. The up-and-down nature makes it difficult for batting sides to score freely, while bowlers, spinners and pacers alike can get help off the surface.
IND W vs ZIM W: Head-to-Head T20I Record
This is the first encounter between the two teams in the format.
IND W vs ZIM W: Predicted Playing XIs
India Women:
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana (c), G Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Prema Rawat
Zimbabwe Women:
Michelle Mavunga, Nyasha Gwanzura, Kudazai Chigora, Sharne Mayers, Josephine Nkomo (c), Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Chiedza Dhururu (wk), Beloved Biza, Francisca Chipare, Kelis Ndhlovu, Nomvelo Sibanda
IND W vs ZIM W: Probable Best Performer of the Match
Probable Best Batter: Shafali Verma
While all eyes will be on new captain Smriti Mandhana, her opening partner Shafali Verma would be the batter to watch out for in this contest. The batter comes into the series in fine form, playing a key role with the bat in the Asian Games victory.
Probable Best Batter: Deepti Sharma
The off-spinner Deepti Sharma would be the bowler to watch out for in this contest. The off-spinner is the leader of the attack and will be looking to lead from the front on a wicket which could help bowlers.
