On Tuesday 6 October 2026, at 3:31 pm, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, known as the BCCI, announced that Smriti Mandhana is the new captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team.
The board describes her as one of the leading figures in Indian women's cricket over the years. It says she has played a key part in the team's progress in all formats of the game. She is an experienced international player. She has also shown that she can lead in domestic cricket and in franchise cricket. Most recently she led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the Women's Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026.
Mandhana has been part of the Indian team since 2013, so she brings a lot of experience to the job. The BCCI says the team is now entering a new phase. She will lead the side as it keeps building on the progress of recent years. From now on she will be the full-time white-ball captain. The page notes that she has already captained India in 18 T20Is and 4 ODIs.
Mandhana said it is a very special honour to be given the responsibility of leading India. Playing for India has always meant a great deal to her, and she said she will value the chance to lead the team deeply. She thanked the BCCI, the selectors, her teammates and everyone who has backed her along the way, and she mentioned the trust they have shown in her.
She also paid tribute to Harmanpreet, the previous captain. Mandhana said Harmanpreet led the team with great commitment over the years and has been an important part of the team's journey. She added that she understands what the role demands. She said she looks forward to working with the team, learning as she goes, and giving her best to move Indian cricket forward.
BCCI President Mithun Manhas congratulated her on being trusted with the job. He said she has been an important part of Indian cricket for many years and has regularly shown the qualities needed to lead from the front. In his view, her experience and understanding of the game will help her in the role. He said the board has full confidence in her. He expects her to bring the same commitment and professionalism she has shown throughout her career, and he wished her the very best as she leads the team into this new chapter.
BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia also congratulated her. He said she has grown into one of the most experienced players in the Indian team. She has been part of some very important moments in the journey of Indian women's cricket. He said she knows what it means to play for India and he is sure she will bring that understanding to the captaincy. Saikia agreed that leading India is a big responsibility, but he said Mandhana has the experience and the temperament for it. He pointed to her success as captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women's Premier League as another sign of her leadership. He wished her and the team every success and said he hopes to see Indian cricket keep progressing under her.
Text and photos: bcci.tv · 06.10 — original →
The Zimbabwe Women tour of India begins on October 16, 2026. It has three T20 internationals first, then three one-day internationals. The page says this is the first time the senior women's teams of India and Zimbabwe will play a bilateral series against each other.
All three T20 games will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The one-day games move to BCA Stadium in Vadodara. The tour ends on October 28.
The BCCI confirmed the six-match plan. The T20 part runs from October 16 to 20. The one-day part runs from October 23 to 28.
In Raipur, the T20 games are on October 16, 18 and 20. The first game starts at 7:00 PM IST. In Vadodara, the one-day games are on October 23, 25 and 28. Each one starts at 2:00 PM IST.
The page explains why the one-day games matter. They are part of the ICC Women's Championship 2025-29. So they count for more than just the result of this series, because they feed into the wider championship cycle.
For Zimbabwe, the tour is a chance to gain experience against one of the strongest women's teams in the world. For India, it is a chance to test how deep the squad is and try different combinations. It also helps India keep preparing for coming global tournaments.
India has named its squads. Smriti Mandhana is captain for both the T20 and the one-day series.
The T20 squad is: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma (vice-captain), Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), G Kamalini (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita and Minnu Mani.
The one-day 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 Renuka Thakur.
The page also answers a few quick questions. The tour starts on October 16, 2026 with the first T20 in Raipur and ends on October 28 with the third one-day game in Vadodara. The two sides play six matches in all, three T20s and three one-dayers. All three T20s are in Raipur, and all three one-dayers are at BCA Stadium in Vadodara. And yes, the one-dayers belong to the ICC Women's Championship 2025-29.
In its closing words, the page calls the tour a historic moment for both teams, since it is their first bilateral senior women's international series. It says the action starts with three T20s in Raipur from October 16 to 20, then moves to Vadodara for three Championship one-dayers from October 23 to 28. India has a strong squad under Smriti Mandhana, and Zimbabwe gets useful time against top-level opponents. The page sees the series as an important stage for both sides as women's international cricket keeps growing.
Text and photos: cricketscanner.com · 10.10 — original →
