Smriti Mandhana captaincy era set to begin as India take on Zimbabwe

Raipur, Oct 15: A new chapter in Indian women’s cricket will commence on Friday when Smriti Mandhana leads the side as full-time captain for the first time in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe, who are still searching for their first win in the format this year.

Friday’s clash will mark the start of Zimbabwe’s first-ever bilateral series against India, and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium is set to host a women’s international match for the first time.

Smriti, who takes over from Harmanpreet Kaur after being the vice-captain for almost ten years, inherits a side brimming with confidence after winning the Asia Cup and the Asian Games gold medal. Captaincy is hardly unfamiliar territory for Smriti - she has led Maharashtra in domestic cricket and guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles.

She has also captained India in 18 T20Is, winning 11 and losing six of them, with the first of those coming seven years ago against England in Guwahati when Harmanpreet was injured. Her elevation to captaincy comes when Smriti is at the peak of her batting powers. The left-handed opener has struck two hundreds and 15 fifties in T20Is over the last three years and has pushed her strike rate to a career-best 148.25 in 2026.

While Harmanpreet still remains a key figure in the dressing room, her now being free from leadership duties means she could well be more destructive with the bat. The main selection puzzle to solve for India is the number three slot, left vacant by Jemimah Rodrigues, who is recovering from a right hamstring tear. IANS

Also Read: Matthew Breetzke replaces Tristan Stubbs in South Africa's squad for second Test against Australia