Indian women’s cricket team heads into a new era with a new captain and perhaps a new vision. Zimbabwe women, on the other hand, are looking to make the most of their first tour of India and hoping to show the world their talents.

India’s new captain Smriti Mandhana will be keen to start with a win. The 30-year-old has captaincy experience, having led RCB to title wins in WPL.

Former skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be looking to bat freely with the burden of leading a side off her back and try to be among the run-scorers.

Zimbabwe will be led by Josephine Nkomo, and the visiting side will surely be excited to play in India. Zimbabwe women’s cricket team recently visited the West Indies, where they lost the series 0-3. They have a few exciting players who will surely be looked at closely in the upcoming series.

Details of the IND-W vs ZIM-W Match

Match: India Women vs Zimbabwe Women, 1st T20I

Date and Time: 16th October 2026, 7:00 PM

Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur

Broadcast and Live Streaming: Star Sports network channels, JioStar App and Website

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium Pitch Report

In the two IPL games played at the venue earlier this year, it was the chasing side who emerged victorious on both occasions.

The captain winning the toss will want to bowl first. Spinners will be effective once the ball gets old and there will be turn and bounce on the surface. 160-180 could be a decent score to chase on this track.

IND-W vs ZIM-W: Head-to-Head

It is the first meeting between the two sides.

IND-W vs ZIM-W: Predicted playing XI

India – Smriti Mandhana (C), Shafali Verma, G Kamalini, Harmanpreet KaurRicha Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, and Nandani Sharma.

Zimbabwe – Michelle Mavunga, Nyasha Gwanzura, Kudazai Chigora, Josephine Nkomo (C), Chipo Tiripano, Chiedza Dhururu, Beloved Biza, Francisa Chipare, Kellis Ndhlovu, Nomvelo Sibanda

IND-W vs ZIM-W: Predicted best performers of the match

Best batter – Shafali Verma

Indian opener Shafali Verma has been in great form with the bat, scoring 188 runs from three innings during the Asian Games 2026 campaign. Shafali can give the team good starts with her aggressive batting and is a dangerous player in the powerplay overs.

Best bowler – Shree Charani

World number 1 T20I bowler Shree Charani has picked up 13 wickets from her last five T20I games. The 22-year-old spinner will love bowling in home conditions, where she will find enough turn and bounce and can put opposition batters under pressure.

Who will win IND-W vs ZIM-W first T20I match?

It could be a steep learning curve for Zimbabwe when they take on India in the first game in Raipur on Friday. One can expect the Women in Blue to win the game, considering they are playing at home and know the conditions well.