India Women will face Zimbabwe Women in the first T20I of the series on Friday, October 16, 2026, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur. The match will start at 7:00 PM IST and will be played under lights. India come into the series after winning their last five matches, while Zimbabwe have lost their previous five games. Both teams will be looking to begin the series with a positive result. India will aim to continue their winning run, while Zimbabwe will try to improve their recent performances.
India have several experienced players in their squad, including Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma. Their bowling options include Shree Charani, Arundhati Reddy and Kranti Gaud, who will be important in restricting Zimbabwe’s scoring. Zimbabwe will look to captain Josephine Nkomo, Kelis Ndhlovu, Michelle Mavunga and Nyasha Gwanzura to make valuable contributions. The visitors will need strong performances from both their batters and bowlers to challenge India. The opening match will give both teams a chance to start the series well and build momentum for the games ahead.
Squads:
India Women’s Cricket Team
Smriti Mandhana (C), Shafali Verma (VC), Kranti Gaud, Richa Ghosh, Jintimani Kalita, Gunalan Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Minnu Mani, Niki Prasad, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Deepti Sharma, Nandani Sharma, Anushka Sharma, N Sree Charani
Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket Team
Josephine Nkomo (C), Beloved Biza, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Francisca Chipare, Chiedza Dhururu, Nyasha Gwanzura, Tendai Makusha, Michelle Mavunga, Sharne Mayers, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Modester Mupachikwa, Kelis Ndhlovu, Loryn Phiri, Nomvelo Sibanda
Players to watch out:
Shafali Verma
Shafali Verma will be one of the key batters for India in the first T20I against Zimbabwe. She has scored 511 runs in her last 10 matches, with an average of 63.88 and a strike rate of 175.6. These figures show how effectively she can score runs at a high pace. Her attacking batting could help India get off to a quick start in the powerplay and put pressure on Zimbabwe’s bowlers. India will hope she continues her strong form in the opening match of the series.
N Sree Charani
N Sree Charani will be an important bowler for India as they begin their T20I campaign against Zimbabwe. She has taken 24 wickets in her last 10 matches, with an economy rate of 4.02 and a bowling strike rate of 9.33. Her ability to take wickets regularly makes her an important option for the Indian team. She will look to keep Zimbabwe’s batters under pressure and prevent them from building strong partnerships. If she maintains her recent form, she could make a major contribution to India’s performance.
Kelis Ndhlovu
Kelis Ndhlovu will be one of the batters Zimbabwe will depend on in the opening match. She has scored 207 runs in her last 10 matches, with an average of 20.7 and a strike rate of 111.29. Her contribution with the bat could be important as Zimbabwe take on India’s bowling attack. The visitors will need their batters to spend time at the crease, build partnerships and avoid losing wickets too quickly. Ndhlovu will aim to make useful runs and help Zimbabwe put up a competitive total or chase down India’s score.
Michelle Mavunga
Michelle Mavunga is another Zimbabwe player to watch because of her contributions with both bat and ball. In her last 9 matches, she has scored 146 runs, averaging 16.22 at a strike rate of 153.68. She has also taken 7 wickets during this period, with an economy rate of 9.75 and a bowling strike rate of 20.57. These performances show that she can contribute in both departments, although she will need to make the most of her opportunities against India. Zimbabwe will hope she can deliver a useful performance in the first T20I.
Pitch:
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, generally offers a balanced pitch for T20 cricket. Fast bowlers may get some pace and bounce early in the innings, while batters can score freely once they settle at the crease. Spinners may find assistance during the middle overs as the surface becomes slower. The average first-innings score in T20Is at this venue is around 180–186 runs.
Weather:
Raipur is expected to have clear weather during the match with no significant threat of rain forecast. The temperature is expected to be around 28°C at 7:00 PM, when the match begins, before dropping to approximately 25°C by 9:00 PM. It could fall further to around 24°C later in the evening.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Kelis Ndhlovu, Michelle Mavunga, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Josephine Nkomo, N Sree Charani, Arundhati Reddy, Nyasha Gwanzura, Kranti Gaud
Match Details:
Date – October 16, 2026
Time – 7:00 PM IST
Venue – Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
Broadcast – The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network in India. Fans can also watch the match online through the JioHotstar app and website.
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