Ajit Mohan Yadav
Rahul Jethalal
India have named their T20I and ODI squads for Zimbabwe's October tour, with Smriti Mandhana set to lead both sides after the BCCI named her India's full-time white-ball captain. The six-match series begins on Friday 16 October, with the T20Is in Raipur and the ODIs in Vadodara.
Selection announcement sets the next assignment
The Women's Selection Committee announced the squads on Tuesday 6 October. This is not only a list for another home series: it is India's first bilateral international meeting with Zimbabwe, according to the International Cricket Council, and it gives Mandhana her first assignment as captain in both white-ball formats.
The schedule is compact but useful. India will play three T20Is on 16, 18 and 20 October at Raipur's venue, followed by three ODIs on 23, 25 and 28 October in Vadodara. All six fixtures are at home, yet the split offers two different tests for a side beginning a new leadership phase.
Mandhana leads, with two vice-captains
Mandhana is captain of both 15-member squads. Shafali Verma is the T20I vice-captain, while Deepti Sharma has that role for the ODI side. That division gives each format a clearly named deputy and keeps Deepti's senior all-round presence central to the longer game.
Harmanpreet Kaur is included in both squads. Her presence gives India experience during the handover, while the leadership titles now sit with Mandhana. The selection therefore carries a practical message: the change at the top does not mean an immediate break from the core group.
T20I group blends experience and fresh options
The T20I squad is Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh, G Kamalini, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita and Minnu Mani.
Richa Ghosh and G Kamalini are the two wicketkeeping choices listed by the BCCI. The group also has several young names alongside established internationals, giving the management room to test combinations across three evening matches. With Shafali named deputy, the top order will carry a clear leadership link as well as its attacking role.
India's cricket hub will carry the wider series context as the tour approaches, while readers can use the live scores page on match days for confirmed updates rather than relying on early projections.
ODI squad adds a different balance
The ODI group is Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Renuka Thakur. Deepti is the named vice-captain in this squad.
Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis and Yastika Bhatia make the ODI selection different from the T20I group. The two lists also show how India have kept a large shared core while making format-specific choices for the longer game.
The two squads share several players, but they are not identical. That allows India to prepare for the demands of 20-over cricket in Raipur and 50-over cricket in Vadodara without treating the formats as the same exercise.
Full schedule and what comes next
The T20I leg starts at 7:00pm IST on 16 October, with the next two games at the same time on 18 and 20 October. The ODIs start at 2:00pm IST on 23, 25 and 28 October. The BCCI's announcement lists Raipur for all three T20Is and Vadodara for all three ODIs.
For Indian fans, the main question is how quickly Mandhana's leadership structure settles. The answer will not come from the squad sheet alone. It will take shape in the opening combinations, the use of the all-rounders and the way India manage the shift from the short format to the ODI leg. Zimbabwe's visit offers six home matches, but the selection announcement makes them the first clear marker of India's next phase.
Follow FairPlay's news page for the series build-up and the confirmed match reports after play begins.
Sources: BCCI: India women's squads for T20I and ODI series against Zimbabwe announced · ICC: Mandhana takes charge, India name squads for Zimbabwe series · Cricbuzz: Zimbabwe Women tour of India 2026
This piece was written by the FairPlay Editorial Desk with AI assistance, using the published sources above. It was reviewed by Ajit Mohan Yadav and Rahul Jethalal of the FairPlay editorial team before publication. To report an error, see our Editorial Policy.
