India Women begin their three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe on Friday with the first game at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, starting 2:00 PM IST. The home side arrive on the back of a commanding 3-0 win in the T20I leg and will start as firm favourites to take the 50-over rubber as well.
It is the first 50-over series as full-time captain for Smriti Mandhana, who made a strong start to her tenure with the T20I sweep over Zimbabwe. Deepti Sharma is her deputy for the ODI leg. Speaking on the eve of the match, Deepti said the pitch at Kotambi is a good batting track and that India are aiming for 300-plus totals.
The reigning 50-over world champions will be playing their first ODI series since suffering a 3-0 series loss to Australia earlier this year. India Women will back themselves to beat Zimbabwe in the upcoming series, and the management has made it clear the batting unit wants to set the tone early.
India Women’s batting has been the team’s strength through the home season, and the return to 50-over cricket gives the top order a chance to set the tone after the Australia defeat. Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Pratika Rawal will be expected to give the side fast starts on a surface Deepti described as a good batting track.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, did not have too many positives to take from the 0-3 hammering in the T20I series. The tourists will take cues from their recent ODI win over the West Indies as they look to put the home side under pressure. They are led by Josephine Nkomo.
India Women’s squad for the Zimbabwe ODIs
The India Women’s squad is: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma (vice-captain), Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Jintimani Kalita.
Kalita comes in for Renuka Singh Thakur, who was ruled out of the series as she continues to build her bowling workload for 50-over cricket at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. The squad blends the senior core of Harmanpreet, Richa and Deepti with younger names, and the team management will settle the playing XI on the morning of the match.
For India Women, the home series is a chance to reset in the format after the 3-0 defeat to Australia earlier this year, and the selectors will be watching how the younger bowlers handle the step up in the longer white-ball game.
What India Women said before the opener
Deepti’s assessment of the surface sets up the contest. She said the pitch is a good batting track and India aim for 300-plus totals, a clear statement of intent from a side that swept the T20Is. With Shafali Verma and Pratika Rawal at the top and Mandhana leading from the front, India Women have the batting depth to back those words.
The vice-captain’s comments also underline how the team wants to approach the series: bat big, bat first if possible, and put Zimbabwe under scoreboard pressure from the start.
Zimbabwe’s challenge in Vadodara
Zimbabwe’s squad is: Josephine Nkomo (captain), Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Kelis Ndhlovu, Michelle Mavunga, Francisca Chipare, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Nyasha Gwanzura, Nomvelo Sibanda, Loryn Phiri, Chiyedza Dhururu, Modester Mupachikwa, Tendai Makusha and Sharne Mayers. After the 0-3 T20I defeat, the visitors know the size of the task, but their recent ODI win over the West Indies gives them something to point to.
Zimbabwe know the size of the task after the T20I series, but an ODI is a different contest, and the visitors will hope their recent win over the West Indies in the format counts for something. India Women will begin as overwhelming favourites, as they did in the T20I leg.
All three ODIs will be played at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, on October 23, 25 and 28, each starting at 2:00 PM IST. The series marks the beginning of India’s 2025-29 Women’s Championship cycle. Fans in India can watch the television telecast on Star Sports, with live streaming on the JioHotstar app and website.