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.
Middle Order: Richa Ghosh (WK), Niki Prasad, Gunalan Kamalini, Deepti Sharma
Richa Ghosh holds the wicketkeeper role in the T20I squad and has scored 1445 runs across 96 games. Deepti Sharma features in the middle order as an all-rounder, having scored 1306 runs and taken 189 wickets in 157 T20I appearances. Sharma's dual skills make her invaluable in the middle order. Niki Prasad is expected to make her India debut in this series. The all-rounder has featured in 18 matches for Delhi Capitals Women in the Women's Premier League. G Kamalini, who has played five T20Is, provides additional batting depth in the middle order as a backup option.
Lower Order/Bowlers: Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud
The bowling attack includes Shree Charani, who has taken 62 wickets in 33 T20I games. Nandani Sharma has taken 17 wickets in her T20I career, while Kranti Gaud has claimed 11 wickets. Minnu Mani, with four T20I appearances, rounds out the squad options for the bowling department.
India's predicted playing XI for the 1st T20I:
Shafali Varma, Smriti Mandhana (C), Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (WK), Niki Prasad, Gunalan Kamalini, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud
