India Women kick off their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe Women at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on October 16, with Smriti Mandhana set to lead her side out for the first time since being appointed captain following the squad announcement on October 6, 2026.

India will field a mix of experienced campaigners and hungry young guns in the opening match as the visitors look to set the tone for the series and utilize the match to test the depth of their squad and assess emerging talent.

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma to lead India's top order

Shafali Varma and Smriti Mandhana are expected to open the innings, providing India with a handy mix of aggression and balance at the top of the order. Shafali's attacking approach can stretch the bowlers during the powerplay while Mandhana's stroke-making abilities and experience will see her flourish in the early overs.

Mandhana has amassed 4,867 runs in 179 T20I appearances under her belt, while Shafali has scored 3,325 runs in 119 T20I appearances, and will aim to accelerate the innings.

Harmanpreet Kaur is likely to bat at No. 3, providing the middle order with experience and a calm presence at the crease. With 4,346 runs in 210 T20I appearances, the senior batter can steady the innings if India lose an early wicket or accelerate when the situation demands it.

Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma bolster middle order

Richa Ghosh is likely to deputize as the wicketkeeper and set the fourth in the batting line-up, with her aggressive hitting capabilities making her a handy option in the middle overs and death, having amassed 1,445 runs in 96 T20I appearances.

A young all-rounder Niki Prasad, could make it to the predicted XI, providing India with another middle-order option, having played 18 matches for Delhi Capitals Women in the Women's Premier League. The campaign in a competitive franchise has given the budding talent a valuable insight into competitive cricket and can be expected to give a fitting response on her India debut.

Gunalan Kamalini is another candidate who can offer additional batting insurance in the middle-order with her experience in five T20I appearances, giving the selectors another young option to consider.

Deepti Sharma, on the other hand, is expected to play a crucial role with both bat and ball, where the all-rounder has been in brilliant form this year, scoring 1,306 runs and picking up 189 wickets in 157 T20I appearances.

Minnu Mani, Shree Charani head the bowling attack

India's predicted bowling attack will feature a mix of spin and seam, with Minnu Mani and Shree Charani expected to slot in as crucial options, with Mani adding an extra spin option while Charani can be entrusted with a sizeable share of the bowling responsibilities.

Nandani Sharma and Kranti Gaud are also expected to figure in the attack, with both players likely to want to make an impact and make Zimbabwe's batters toil under pressure. Their performances can prove to be crucial in the chase, particularly in the middle and death overs as India look to keep a tight check on the batters.

With Deepti Sharma offering another all-round option, India can be expected to utilize the flexibility to tweak their attack in accordance to the conditions in Raipur and the opposition batters' approach.

India Women predicted playing XI for 1st T20I vs Zimbabwe Women

Shafali Varma, Smriti Mandhana (C), Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (WK), Niki Prasad, Gunalan Kamalini, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud

India will aim to make a winning start to the series, with the first T20I providing Mandhana with the perfect opportunity to set the tone for her captaincy. While the experience of the senior core will be relied upon to steer India through the three-match encounter, the performances of the young guns will be crucial to the team's success.