A new chapter in Indian women’s cricket will commence on Friday when Smriti Mandhana leads the side as full-time captain for the first time in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe, who are still searching for their first win in the format this year.
Friday’s clash will mark the start of Zimbabwe’s first-ever bilateral series against India, and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium is set to host a women’s international match for the first time. Smriti, who takes over from Harmanpreet Kaur after being the vice-captain for almost ten years, inherits a side brimming with confidence after winning the Asia Cup and the Asian Games gold medal. Captaincy is hardly unfamiliar territory for Smriti – she has led Maharashtra in domestic cricket and guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to two WPL titles. G Kamalini batted there twice, but Anushka Sharma and Niki Prasad pushed their case after posting strong showings against Australia A. Prema Rawat could come in with Shreyanka Patil not included for the series. India will also have huge hopes from vice-captain Shafali Verma and left-arm spinner N Sree Charani to continue their sparkling run. Where to watch: The match will be shown live on the Star Sports Network channels on TV and live-stream is available on the JioHotstar app and website. India: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma (vc), Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), G Kamalini (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Sree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita, and Minnu Mani Zimbabwe: 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
