Team India’s Squads Announced for Zimbabwe Series With a New Captain

Team India have announced their T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe, with Smriti Mandhana officially taking over as the new captain.

The announcement marks the beginning of a new era after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from captaincy. Harmanpreet, however, has not retired and remains an important part of Team India’s plans, with the experienced batter selected in both the T20I and ODI squads.

Mandhana was the obvious candidate to take over. She had served as India’s vice-captain for several years and already has international captaincy experience. She has previously led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs.

Her leadership record in franchise cricket strengthens her case further. Mandhana has led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two Women’s Premier League titles, in 2024 and 2026.

Zimbabwe will now be her first assignment after officially becoming Team India’s full-time white-ball captain.

Team India T20I Squad vs Zimbabwe

Smriti Mandhana (C), Shafali Verma (VC), Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), G Kamalini (WK), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita and Minnu Mani.

The T20I squad is particularly interesting because the selectors have brought in several young players who have impressed in the WPL and domestic cricket.

Niki Prasad, Anushka Sharma, G Kamalini and Jintimani Kalita are among the exciting names in the squad, while Minnu Mani is also back in the setup.

One notable absentee is Renuka Thakur, who has not been picked for the T20I series, although she remains part of the ODI squad.

Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma Given Different Leadership Roles

Another important detail in the squad announcement is the choice of vice-captains.

Shafali Verma has been named vice-captain of the T20I side, while Deepti Sharma will serve as vice-captain in ODIs.

This could also provide an indication of how the selectors are thinking about Team India’s future leadership structure after Smriti Mandhana.

Shafali is only 22 and is already one of India’s most experienced T20 players. Giving her the vice-captaincy in the shortest format suggests that the team management wants to develop her leadership skills and potentially groom her as a future T20I captain.

For ODIs, the responsibility has gone to the far more experienced Deepti Sharma. She has been a central part of India’s ODI setup for years and understands the demands of the 50-over format extremely well.

The decision to have different vice-captains for different formats is particularly interesting. Instead of identifying one deputy across white-ball cricket, the selectors appear to be creating separate leadership pathways—Shafali in T20Is and Deepti in ODIs.

Smriti Mandhana is now the captain in both formats, but the appointments underneath her could offer an early indication of whom the selectors want to groom as the next leadership option in each format.

This also makes the transition after Harmanpreet Kaur more significant. Team India are not merely changing their captain; they appear to be starting the process of building the next layer of leadership as well.

Anushka Sharma Rewarded After Impressive WPL 2026

Anushka Sharma’s selection is one of the most interesting calls in the T20I squad.

The young batter represented Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026 and scored 177 runs from seven innings at an average of 25.29 and a strike rate of 129.20.

She did not score a fifty, but produced several useful innings in the middle order. Her highest score was 44 from 30 balls against UP Warriorz, while she also made an impressive 39 from 25 balls against Delhi Capitals.

For a young Indian batter playing her first WPL season, the performances were enough to demonstrate her potential.

Anushka has also remained around India’s next-generation setup. She was recently named captain of India A for the T20 series against Australia A and vice-captain for their one-day series.

Her inclusion against Zimbabwe gives Team India an opportunity to see how she responds to senior international cricket.

Niki Prasad Gets Her Opportunity

Niki Prasad is another youngster who has been rewarded with a place in the T20I squad.

The former India U19 captain represented Delhi Capitals in WPL 2026. Her overall numbers were modest, with 75 runs from 10 matches at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 120.97, but those numbers do not completely explain her role.

Her best innings came against Gujarat Giants when she almost pulled off a remarkable chase.

Niki scored 47, combining with Sneh Rana to bring Delhi Capitals back into a game that appeared to be slipping away. Delhi eventually lost by only three runs.

She also brings leadership pedigree. Niki captained India to the 2025 ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup title and had earlier led the team to the U19 Asia Cup crown.

She was subsequently selected in all three India A squads for the recent Australia A series.

Zimbabwe therefore presents a good opportunity for Team India to expose one of their highly rated young players to senior international cricket.

T20I Squad Shows a Clear Focus on New Faces

The overall construction of the T20I squad suggests that selectors are willing to reward performances outside the established senior setup.

Alongside Niki and Anushka, G Kamalini and Jintimani Kalita have also been included. Minnu Mani’s return provides another spin-bowling option.

At the same time, some established names are missing, with Renuka Thakur’s absence from the T20I squad particularly noticeable.

Against Zimbabwe, Team India have an opportunity to test these players without completely dismantling the experienced core. Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Shafali, Deepti and Richa Ghosh provide that experience around the younger group.

Team India ODI Squad vs Zimbabwe

Smriti Mandhana (C), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma (VC), Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Renuka Thakur.

Compared with the T20I squad, the ODI group has a more familiar look.

One of the biggest positives is the return of Pratika Rawal.

Pratika had been out due to injury, and her return strengthens India’s top-order options. Her T20 performances may not have been particularly impressive when opportunities came her way, but ODI cricket has been a completely different story for her.

The longer format allows Pratika to play the type of innings that has made her such a highly rated ODI batter.

Sayali Satghare is another notable inclusion, while Vaishnavi Sharma also features in the 15-member squad.

Renuka Thakur, despite missing out on the T20I squad, remains part of India’s ODI plans.

Zimbabwe Series Schedule

The series begins with three T20Is in Raipur before moving to Vadodara for three ODIs.

1st T20I: October 16 — Raipur, 7:00 PM IST
2nd T20I: October 18 — Raipur, 7:00 PM IST
3rd T20I: October 20 — Raipur, 7:00 PM IST

1st ODI: October 23 — Vadodara, 2:00 PM IST
2nd ODI: October 25 — Vadodara, 2:00 PM IST
3rd ODI: October 28 — Vadodara, 2:00 PM IST

The Zimbabwe series therefore represents more than another bilateral assignment for Team India.

It begins the Smriti Mandhana captaincy era while also giving the selectors an opportunity to test some of the country’s promising young players, particularly in the T20I format.

With Mandhana’s previous leadership experience and an established senior core around the younger players, Team India will start the series as strong favourites. It also provides Mandhana with a relatively favourable first assignment as full-time captain before tougher challenges arrive.