Smriti Mandhana Begins India Captaincy Reign With T20I Series Sweep Over Zimbabwe
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Kaur Shines In Mandhana’s First Series as India Captain
The Indian Women’s national team confirmed our cricket predictions by securing an emphatic 3-0 sweep against Zimbabwe on home soil in Smriti Mandhana’s first T20I series as the new team captain.
Mandhana was handed the reins after Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s longest-serving captain among both men and women, stepped down from the role across all formats two weeks ago, bringing down the curtain on a successful stint, which included leading the team to their ICC Women’s World Cup title in 2025.
India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in New Raipur on Sunday, when they thrashed Zimbabwe by nine wickets and with 67 balls to spare. Perhaps fittingly, it was Mandhana who struck the winning runs, hoisting Olinder Chare out of the park to secure the series.
On Monday in the third T20I, Mandhana opted to bat first in order to give her side’s middle order an opportunity to spend time at the crease. The move paid off, with Kaur playing the starring role, reaching her half-century off just 25 balls before finishing on an unbeaten 91. Speaking after the match, Mandhana said:
“I mean, batting was very brilliant. Anushka to start with. Shafali and then Harman, everyone played their part. The bowlers did execute their plans. Maybe yes, some things we can work on. We will take it back and work on it.”
The new skipper also expressed her satisfaction with her side’s bowling performance, saying that the team management and leadership group took time to assess the impact of dew as they look ahead to the ICC Champions Trophy.
Mandhana Satisfied with Options for ICC Champions Trophy
Following their T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe, Mandhana expressed her satisfaction with how her team is shaping up for next year’s inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, which will be hosted on home soil.
Against Zimbabwe, the Women in Blue utilised a variety of different combinations in their bowling lineup, with Nandani Sharma (6 wickets), Kranti Gaud (3), and Niki Prasad (3) all impressing with the ball from the six specialist bowlers called up. Speaking on the performance, Mandhana said:
"We're going to have the next three months going ahead there's going to be a lot of dew until we approach the Champions Trophy so the kind of combination we need and the bowlers - the more the merrier. I'm really happy and pleased with the way Niki, Shafali (Verma), everyone chipped in."
India’s preparations for the inaugural Women’s ICC Champions Trophy will continue over the coming months, with their next assignment starting on Friday in the first of three ODIs against Zimbabwe at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Gujarat.
