India Women begin their 2025-29 ICC Women’s Championship campaign against Zimbabwe on October 23 in Vadodara, with newly appointed captain Smriti Mandhana aiming to build on the team’s recent T20I success.
The three-match ODI series marks India’s return to the format after a lengthy break. Since winning the Women’s ODI World Cup in November 2025, India have played only three ODIs, losing all three against Australia in March 2026.
India are the only team yet to play in the current Women’s Championship cycle. West Indies have already completed 12 matches, while New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have played nine each.
With the next ODI World Cup scheduled for 2029, the series offers India an opportunity to begin preparations while collecting valuable Championship points.
India Look to Continue Winning Start Under Smriti Mandhana
Mandhana enters the ODI series after leading India to a 3-0 T20I sweep against Zimbabwe in Raipur.
Harmanpreet Kaur enjoys return to form after stepping down from the captaincy. She struck an unbeaten 91 off 41 balls in the final T20I and spoke about cricket without the additional pressure of leadership.
Mandhana now faces a different challenge in the 50-over format, where India will aim to establish consistency over the next three years. Her individual ODI record provides encouragement. In 2025, she scored 1,362 runs in 23 matches, including five centuries and five half-centuries.
Across her previous four ODIs as captain, Mandhana accumulated 254 runs at a strike rate of 149.41, registering one century and one fifty.
Friday’s opening match will be her fifth ODI as India captain.
Deepti Sharma Embraces Vice-Captaincy Responsibility
Experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma has been appointed India’s ODI vice-captain and views the role as an opportunity to support Mandhana and the wider squad. Speaking before the series, Deepti said she was ready to take on additional responsibility.
“Whenever I get a new role, I take it as a challenge,” Deepti said. “When this news came, I felt very good and thought, ‘Let’s do this for the team.’ I can help the other players as much as possible. The more matches I win for the team, whether as a player or as vice-captain, the more I can help Smriti.”
Deepti also expects favourable batting conditions in Vadodara and believes India can target a substantial total if they bat first.
“The pitch is very good. Based on the training sessions we have had, we know that it will be a good batting track,” she said. “We have played so many matches, so our team knows very well what the wickets and conditions are likely to be like. We are confident and will approach the series one match at a time.”
She added:
“If we bat first, we will aim to score at least 300. The more runs we can score, the better. However, it will depend on what happens after the toss and what kind of pitch we get.”
Zimbabwe Hope to Build on Historic ODI Victory
Zimbabwe arrive in India having lost eight of their nine matches in the current Women’s Championship cycle. However, they recorded a historic first ODI victory against West Indies in Harare in September, providing encouragement ahead of the India series.
Although Zimbabwe lost all three T20Is in Raipur, several players showed their ability to challenge India’s batting and bowling units.
Offspin-bowling all-rounder Nyasha Gwanzura will be among their key players. The 16-ODI international claimed four wickets during the T20I series, including a three-wicket haul in which she dismissed Mandhana and Shafali Verma.
Gwanzura also contributed with bat and ball during Zimbabwe’s victory over West Indies.
Beloved Biza is another important player, having scored 237 runs in nine ODIs this year, the most by a Zimbabwe batter.
Deepti acknowledged Zimbabwe’s batting potential but stressed that India’s priority would be executing their own plans.
“We are playing against them for the first time, but they look like a different team,” Deepti noted. “They have new players, and a new team has been formed. However, judging by their performances in T20Is, they have some very good players who are powerful hitters. Our focus will be on our own team and on guiding our bowlers about which phases they need to bowl in. I think that is what we will concentrate on.”
India Team News: Renuka Singh Ruled Out
India will be without fast bowler Renuka Singh, who is still working towards the bowling workload required for ODI cricket.
Jintimani Kalita has been named as her replacement.
Nandani Sharma could be considered for her ODI debut after an impressive T20I series against Zimbabwe. The fast bowler claimed six wickets in three matches, continuing her progress since making her T20I debut in May.
Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma has also returned to India’s ODI squad, giving the selectors another option.
It remains uncertain whether Nandani or Vaishnavi will feature in the opening match.
Zimbabwe have several pace-bowling choices, including Nomvelo Sibanda, Francisca Chipare, Tendai Makusha and Michelle Mavunga. Their spin options include Olinder Chare, Gwanzura and Biza.
Zimbabwe also experimented with their batting order during the West Indies series, using Sharne Mayers in both opening and middle-order positions.
Vadodara Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The opening ODI will be played at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, a venue familiar to India’s players.
India’s previous ODI series at the ground came against West Indies in 2024, when the hosts completed a 3-0 sweep. India posted totals of 314 and 358 in the opening two matches before chasing 163 in 29 overs in the third.
Those performances suggest another batting-friendly surface could be available.
Vadodara is expected to experience mostly sunny weather, with daytime temperatures reaching approximately 36°C.
Dew could become a factor during the second innings, potentially influencing bowling conditions and decisions at the toss.
Key Statistics Ahead of India vs Zimbabwe ODIs
| Statistic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Series | Three women’s ODIs |
| Opening match | October 23, 2026 |
| Venue | Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara |
| Competition | 2025-29 ICC Women’s Championship |
| Mandhana’s ODI runs in 2025 | 1,362 in 23 matches |
| Deepti Sharma’s home ODI wickets | 88 in 52 matches |
| Nandani Sharma’s recent T20I wickets | 6 against Zimbabwe |
| Beloved Biza’s ODI runs in 2026 | 237 in 9 matches |
| Zimbabwe’s Championship record | 1 win in 9 matches |
India Begin Long-Term Preparations for 2029 World Cup
India enter the series as reigning ODI World Cup champions but with limited recent experience in the format. The matches against Zimbabwe will allow Mandhana to assess combinations, provide opportunities to emerging players and establish a foundation for the new Championship cycle.
Deepti believes India’s approach should remain consistent regardless of the opposition, with attention on batting conditions, bowling plans and adapting to match situations.
For Zimbabwe, the challenge is to turn the progress shown against West Indies and during the T20I series into stronger ODI performances.
