Mandhana leads India women's squad in three-match Zimbabwe T20 series
· Sports · Indian Express, ESPNCricinfo
Smriti Mandhana has been named India's new all-format captain ahead of a three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe starting Friday in Raipur. India's women's team failed to progress past the league stage in the previous two T20 World Cups and will use this series to prepare for the 2028 edition. Mandhana stated the team only needs marginal improvements in fitness, fielding, bowling, and batting to perform better in the biennial tournament. The side will look to find a reliable No. 3 batter with Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out due to injury, while youngsters Niki Prasad and Anushka Sharma are in contention.
Why it matters
India's women's cricket team needs to bridge the gap between their ODI and T20 successes to challenge for global titles, starting with this series against Zimbabwe as a preparation platform before the 2028 T20 World Cup. The selection of a new No. 3 batter will be closely watched as the team aims to stabilize its middle order.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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