Mandhana's First Squad as Captain Shakes Up India Women's Team

·
Listen to this article~4 min

Smriti Mandhana names her first squad as full-time captain. Niki Prasad and Nandani Sharma earn call-ups for the Zimbabwe series. Full squads and schedule inside.

Smriti Mandhana just named her first squad as India's full-time captain, and she didn't hold back. The BCCI announced the women's teams for the home series against Zimbabwe, and two fresh faces are getting their shot: Niki Prasad in T20Is and Nandani Sharma in ODIs. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur, who stepped down as captain across all formats the same day, stays in both 15-member squads. So there's a mix of new energy and veteran presence. ### India vs Zimbabwe Women's Series Schedule The tour kicks off with three T20Is in Raipur, all starting at 7:00 PM local time (which is 9:30 AM ET for fans in the United States). The ODIs follow in Vadodara, also at 1:30 PM local (4:00 AM ET). - **T20Is:** October 16, 18, and 20 in Raipur - **ODIs:** October 23, 25, and 28 in Vadodara ### Niki Prasad and Jintimani Kalita Join T20I Squad Prasad is coming off a huge high. She captained India to the Under-19 World Cup title in Malaysia in 2025, and now she's on the verge of her senior debut. In the recent A series against Australia A, she showed she belongs: an unbeaten 54 in the second T20, a 76 off 71 balls in the third one-dayer, plus four wickets. And in the four-day match, she scored 91 in the first innings and took seven wickets for 77 runs, including a five-for in the second innings. Kalita's inclusion raised a few eyebrows. She didn't pick up many wickets on the A tour of England in June-July, and her returns against Australia A at home were similar. But the selectors see something in her. Four players from the Asian Games gold medal-winning T20I squad are out: Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka Patil, Renuka Singh, and Radha Yadav. Minnu Mani and Anushka Sharma join Prasad and Kalita as replacements. Shafali Verma will be Mandhana's deputy in T20Is. ### Nandani Sharma Earns Maiden ODI Call-Up The ODI squad has more changes. G Kamalini, Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, and Kashvee Gautam, all part of the last ODI series in Australia, are missing. Rodrigues is still recovering from a high-grade right hamstring tear she suffered playing for Southern Brave in the women's Hundred earlier this year. Tejal Hasabnis, Yastika Bhatia, Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandani Sharma, and Sayali Satghare are the new faces. Nandani already has T20I caps and was part of the Asian Games gold-winning side. She also impressed at the women's T20 Asia Cup in Dubai in August-September, which India won. She's been one of the most promising fast-bowling prospects in the country. Deepti Sharma will be vice-captain in ODIs. ### The Full Squads **T20I squad:** Smriti Mandhana (capt), Shafali Verma (vice-capt), Niki Prasad, Harmanpreet Kaur, Anushka Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), G Kamalini (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Jintimani Kalita, Minnu Mani. **ODI squad:** Smriti Mandhana (capt), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma (vice-capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandani Sharma, N Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Renuka Singh. ### What This Means for India's Future This series is a chance for Mandhana to put her stamp on the team. With Harmanpreet still around, there's a bridge between the old guard and the new. Prasad and Nandani are the future, and they'll be eager to prove they belong. Zimbabwe might not be the toughest opponent, but for these newcomers, every game is a step toward something bigger. Keep an eye on how Mandhana handles the captaincy and how the new players adapt. It's a new era for India women's cricket, and it starts now.

📌 Worth Reading Next