A 3-0 sweep in the T20Is means a high-on-confidence Indian side heads to Vadodara to, for all practical purposes, school Zimbabwe in the format in which it is the reigning world champion.
India, master of endurance long before it became a promising apprentice of the power game, will host the Lady Chevrons for three ODIs in Vadodara, Gujarat’s cultural capital.
The 2025 ODI World Cup-winning home side will hope to use this series as an extended audition for a few promising players in the squad ahead of two crucial assignments: a multi-format tour of South Africa in December and the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy (T20) early next year.
Here are a few talking points to watch this week:
Fresh batting order?
India has named Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis and Pratika Rawal for the ODI leg of this tour. While the Pratika-Shafali Verma-Smriti Mandhana pairing in the top order has been tested, it will be interesting to see how India shapes its middle order for this series. Yastika and Tejal both come in on the back of strong outings for India A against Australia A in Mohali last month. Tejal struck 81 off 82 balls in the first one-dayer and followed it with 60, while Yastika, captaining the side, made 112 off 84 in the second. That came on top of her historic century in the Lord’s Test in July. Harleen, who was not part of that one-day squad after captaining India A in the UK in June, will have a huge mandate to come good if given an opportunity, with several youngsters hungrily snapping at the heels of those ahead of them for a spot in the playing eleven.
Elsewhere, in Jemimah Rodrigues’ absence (she is recovering from a hamstring injury picked up during The Hundred), it will be crucial to see whom the new leadership group, headed by captain Smriti Mandhana and vice-captain Deepti Sharma, rallies behind.
Yastika’s value with the bat also poses a tough question for Smriti and Co. when it comes to keeping duties. Will India experiment and give Richa Ghosh some time off? Warm Vadodara will test fitness levels too, particularly for those routinely walking through the doors of the BCCI’s rehab facility, the Centre of Excellence near Bengaluru.
Bowling combination
N. Sree Charani, the youngster from Kadapa, has had a charmed opening phase in the India blue jersey, amassing over 60 wickets in T20Is already. Her left-arm spin tends to leak runs every now and then, but she is also a smart cricketer who comes back stronger when pushed into a corner, with a knack for aggressively pursuing wickets. In the T20I leg, Zimbabwe never crossed the 130-mark as a team, but there were phases where its batters were able to dictate terms against the run of play. When she was rested in the third T20I, India found it difficult to stifle the momentum that players like Sharne Mayers, Kelis Ndhlovu and Co. managed to build in a few games.
Nandni Sharma has been promising, taking six wickets in the T20I leg. Given the concerns around the efficacy of the Indian pace pool in general, she will be happy to have the company of injury replacement Jintimani Kalita and Sayali Satghare for the one-dayers. Renuka Singh Thakur was ruled out of the series on the eve of the first encounter, once again putting the focus on her fitness and workload concerns. Resting Kranti Gaud, who has made the new-ball role her own, might not be the worst idea if India wants to give the rest of the seam options a proper try before the important assignment on the African continent.
Slips in the field
India’s catching efficiency has been under the microscope for most of the decade. Fielding coach Munish Bali has been at the helm for more than three years and has overseen a clear change in athleticism, with some sharp attempts both by the ropes and in close fielding positions. The drops and errors, however, have been just as spectacular, more so when elementary.
These issues tend to compound India’s disadvantage against stronger sides and will be a top priority on his clipboard heading into the New Year.
Vadodara gears up for Champions Trophy gig
The BCA Stadium in Kotambi and the iconic Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai are the designated venues for the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy. This ODI series, with the Indian team in the middle of a heavily scrutinised leadership transition, will be a good opportunity for the administration to galvanise local fan support and attendance, and to iron out accessibility issues and logistical creases ahead of the ICC tournament.
Zimbabwe has retained the same squad from the T20Is and will want to build on the positives noted with the bat and in the field. On more than one occasion, the visitor was the better fielding side, an upside that skipper Josephine Nkomo was heartened by. Its batters, meanwhile, have managed sporadic gains, and Zimbabwe will want those who found a rhythm against India’s solid bowling lineup to now test themselves in the long game of the 50-over format, under the challenging afternoon sun in Gujarat.
Squads
India Women: Smriti Mandhana [C], Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma [VC], Richa Ghosh [WK], Yastika Bhatia [WK], Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Jintimani Kalita
Zimbabwe Women: Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Chiedza Dhururu(wk), Nyasha Gwanzura, Josephine Nkomo(c), Modester Mupachikwa, Sharne Mayers, Loryn Phiri, Francisca Chipare, Kudzai Chigora, Nomvelo Sibanda, Olinder Chare, Michelle Mavunga, Tendai Makusha
Published on Oct 22, 2026