Smriti Mandhana takes charge of India for the first time since she replaced Harmanpreet Kaur as captain when the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe opens in Raipur on Friday. The first T20I is scheduled for October 16, and it is the first bilateral series between the two teams. Raipur will also host its first international women’s match.

India arrive as Asia Cup and Asian Games champions, and Mandhana’s elevation comes at a high point in her batting. She is 30 years old and has played international cricket for 13 years.

Mandhana is no stranger to the job. She has captained India in 18 T20Is, with 11 wins and six defeats. Her first stint came seven years ago, when she stepped in against England in Guwahati after Harmanpreet was ruled out with an injury. She has also won two WPL titles as Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain and led Maharashtra domestically.

Over the last three years, Mandhana has scored two centuries and 15 half-centuries in T20Is, and in 2026 she has taken her strike rate to a career-high 148.25.

The top order around her is the bigger question. The No. 3 spot is unresolved, with Jemimah Rodrigues recovering from a right hamstring tear. G Kamalini played two innings at No. 3 during the Asian Games, but Anushka Sharma and Niki Prasad are in the frame after their recent showings against Australia A.

Shafali Verma, now vice-captain, has scored 64, 68, 40 not out, 100 not out and 48 across her last five T20Is. India’s problem starts after the opening pair: the team is struggling to maintain momentum in the middle overs, and Harmanpreet Kaur’s form has been a concern for a while. India also need more power hitters around Richa Ghosh in the lower order.

In the bowling group, N Shree Charani leads the T20I wicket charts this year with 47 wickets in 23 matches. Prema Rawat needs an extended run as the leg-break option, while Deepti Sharma has troubled batters with her off-spin.

Zimbabwe arrive with some belief. They beat West Indies in an ODI in September, a first for them, but they have lost all 18 of their T20Is this year. Their last win in the format was against Namibia in September 2025. Opener Kelis Ndhlovu has 320 runs in 18 T20Is this year, the most by a Zimbabwe batter, and is coming off 63 off 48 against West Indies.

India’s recent run is strong. They have won their last eight T20Is, a sequence that began after a defeat to Australia in June. The form guide reads India WWWWW and Zimbabwe LLLLL.

Raipur has hosted only two men’s T20Is, the latest in January, when India chased down New Zealand’s 208. Mandhana said the surface appeared batting-friendly.

On the captaincy, Mandhana said:

“I wouldn’t say it’s an extremely new thing, but it’s something to look forward to.” The series is the start of a longer home stretch. It will be followed by three ODIs in Vadodara, and India are building towards the Champions Trophy in February.