Smriti Mandhana has been part of India's leadership group for nearly a decade, serving as Harmanpreet Kaur's vice-captain. Now, she takes charge of the national side as full-time captain for the first time, with her first assignment against an opponent India have never faced before.
Zimbabwe's women's team will tour India for the first time for a six-match white-ball series, comprising three T20Is in Raipur from October 16 to 20, followed by three ODIs in Vadodara from October 23 to 28.
“The conversation was about how to take Indian cricket forward and what our approach should be over the next two to three years, because we have a lot of major tournaments coming up,” Mandhana said in her first press conference since being appointed captain.
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While the leadership change begins a fresh phase for India, Mandhana does not view it as an entirely unfamiliar responsibility. Having spent 10 years as vice-captain, she has been closely involved in the team's leadership structure and believes continuity will be important as India move forward.
Harmanpreet, who led India for a decade, will remain a key presence in the dressing room, said Mandhana. The experience the former captain brings to the side will be vital and with the responsibility of captaincy off her shoulders, perhaps, she can tap into the much-talked about ‘Harmonster’ with the bat.
{{/usCountry}}Harmanpreet, who led India for a decade, will remain a key presence in the dressing room, said Mandhana. The experience the former captain brings to the side will be vital and with the responsibility of captaincy off her shoulders, perhaps, she can tap into the much-talked about ‘Harmonster’ with the bat.
{{/usCountry}}“I wouldn't say this is something entirely new, but it is definitely something to look forward to. Hopefully, I can do justice to the role,” Mandhana said of what to expect under her leadership.
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The series also offers India an opportunity to assess their combinations and give available players a chance to establish themselves. One of the immediate questions for India and Mandhana will be how they zero in on their batting order, particularly at No. 3. Jemimah Rodrigues' absence through injury has opened up a spot, with Mandhana identifying young batters such as Anushka Sharma, Niki Prasad and G Kamalini as potential options.
“Jemimah has been injured for the last two months, and I think we have some exciting players in Anushka and Nikki, who have done really well in India. And, of course, Kamalini, who batted at No. 3 in the Asian Games. So, we have a lot of options,” she said.
For Zimbabwe, the tour comes at an important juncture. Led by Josephine Nkomo, they have retained the squad that featured against West Indies in September-October. That series brought their first-ever ICC Women's Championship win, against West Indies, offering a significant boost to a side seeking to establish itself in international cricket.
The challenge now is to carry that confidence into unfamiliar territory against a side that won the ODI World Cup. The T20Is will provide Zimbabwe with an opportunity to test themselves against India's established players, while the ODIs will carry additional significance as part of the ICC Women's Championship.
Mandhana’s immediate focus will be setting standards that she wants India to follow. The captain has acknowledged that there is still room for improvement, particularly in T20Is but believes the team has the personnel to make progress. The series provides an opportunity to fine-tune those combinations before they head to South Africa in December.
“We have six T20 matches before the Champions Trophy, so we will look to set standards. We want to establish how we approach the next three months leading up to the Champions Trophy.”
“We were unable to qualify in the last two T20 World Cups, and we all have a lot to learn from those experiences. We felt that we had prepared well, but there are certain things required in T20 cricket, particularly fitness, fielding, bowling and batting,” she added.
India's first meeting with Zimbabwe does not carry the weight of a major rivalry but it offers both sides plenty to build on. For Mandhana, it is the first step in a leadership journey that will be judged over the next few years. For Zimbabwe, it is a chance to measure their progress against one of the leading sides in the game.