Smriti Mandhana’s first series as India’s full-time captain ended with six wins from six. India beat Zimbabwe 3-0 in the T20Is in Raipur and 3-0 in the ODIs in Vadodara, finishing with an eight-wicket win on 28 October.
She took charge after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down on 6 October. It was also the first bilateral series between the two sides and Zimbabwe women’s first tour of India.
A fantastic start for Smriti Mandhana as India’s full-time captain! 😍🇮🇳🏆
#Cricket #ODI #INDvZIM https://t.co/4cGq2Yobcg
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) October 28, 2026
The scoreline hides how shaky the start was. In the first T20I, India slipped to 19 for 4 chasing just 115. Deepti Sharma (49) and Niki Prasad (39 not out) added 82 to win it by four wickets.
Mandhana did not let the result cover the mistakes.
“Process-wise, we might not have played the exact way we wanted as a team, but a win is a win.”
Smriti Mandhana, after the 1st T20I against Zimbabwe, 16 October 2026
Then she made it clear the correction had already started.
“I’ve actually already addressed those points in the dressing room!”
Smriti Mandhana, after the 1st T20I against Zimbabwe, 16 October 2026
The six wins show a dominant team. That one line shows what kind of captain India now has, and why speaking up after a win is harder than after a loss.
Insider Read
After a loss, every player walks into the dressing room expecting a hard conversation. After a win, nobody does. A new captain who raises a 19 for 4 collapse in that moment risks sounding ungrateful, which is exactly why it has to happen in week one.
Against weaker opposition, bad habits do not cost you matches, they wait. A loose shot or a dropped catch is forgiven in Raipur and punished by a stronger side in a knockout. The first message a new captain sends is the one the group remembers, and Mandhana’s was clear: the scoreboard does not decide whether the job was done.
Six Wins, Match by Match
| Match | Date and venue | Result | Key performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 16 Oct, Raipur | Won by 4 wickets | Deepti Sharma 49 |
| 2nd T20I | 18 Oct, Raipur | Won by 9 wickets | Shafali Verma 55 off 25 |
| 3rd T20I | 20 Oct, Raipur | Won by 92 runs | Harmanpreet Kaur 91* off 41 |
| 1st ODI | 23 Oct, Vadodara | Won by 9 wickets | Pratika Rawal 100* |
| 2nd ODI | 25 Oct, Vadodara | Won by 121 runs | Harmanpreet Kaur 126 |
| 3rd ODI | 28 Oct, Vadodara | Won by 8 wickets | Vaishnavi Sharma 5/39 |
Harmanpreet played her first series without the captaincy and made the top score in both formats. In the second ODI, she and Deepti (106 not out) lifted India from 19 for 2 to 328 for 6.
Shafali Verma passed fifty four times across both formats. Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma took four wickets in the second ODI and 5 for 39 in the third, her first ODI five-wicket haul.
The second T20I set two records. It was India’s 17th T20I win of 2026, their most in a calendar year. The 67 balls to spare was also the biggest margin by balls remaining in a 100-plus chase in women’s T20Is.
The three ODIs counted towards the ICC Women’s Championship 2025-29.
Also Read:
