Three matches, three heavy defeats. That is how Zimbabwe’s first tour of India has gone so far, and now the format changes. The 50-over game gives visiting batters more time to settle and gives India’s attack more time to squeeze. The first ODI in Vadodara on Friday, 23 October, will show whether Zimbabwe can turn their small wins into real competition. This preview covers the numbers, the squads, the matchups that could decide the game, and a prediction.
Fixture Snapshot
| Detail | Information |
| Match | India Women vs Zimbabwe Women, 1st ODI of 3 |
| Date | Friday, 23 October 2026 |
| Start | 2:00 PM IST (day/night) |
| Venue | Baroda Cricket Association Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara |
| Captains | Smriti Mandhana and Josephine Nkomo |
| Competition | ICC Women’s Championship |
The next two games follow on 25 and 28 October at the same ground.
Head-to-Head: A Rivalry Three Matches Old
India and Zimbabwe had never met in women’s international cricket before this tour. Every previous meeting is therefore from the T20I series in Raipur, and India won all of them:
| Match | Result |
| 1st T20I, 16 October | India won by 4 wickets, chasing 115 |
| 2nd T20I, 18 October | India won by 9 wickets, chasing 103 in 8.5 overs |
| 3rd T20I, 20 October | India won by 92 runs after scoring 216 for 7 |
There is no ODI history between the two sides. Friday’s game is a first.
How Both Teams Reached Vadodara
India’s route has been smooth, with one wobble. They slid to 19 for 4 in the first T20I chase before Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad added 82 to steady things. From there the hosts were nearly flawless. Shafali Verma’s 55 off 25 balls ended the second game almost before it began, and Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 91 off 41 powered a 216 for 7 in the finale, with Shafali adding 69. Nandni Sharma took 3 for 18 in that last game. It was Mandhana’s first series win as full-time captain.
Zimbabwe’s story is a quieter one. They won the ICC Women’s Championship’s first game for the country in Harare on 27 September, beating West Indies by four wickets, with Nyasha Gwanzura taking 4 for 33. The table still looks tough, though. They have one win and eight defeats from nine Championship matches, and 11 wins from 39 ODIs overall. The T20Is showed flickers of resistance, especially Gwanzura’s three-wicket burst in the opener and a half-century from Sharne Mayers in the finale.
India: Where the Strength Sits
Batting
Mandhana opens with Pratika Rawal or Shafali Verma, and Harmanpreet, Harleen Deol, and Tejal Hasabnis follow. Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia offer two wicketkeeper options. Mandhana has scored 492 runs at an average of 54.67 in her last 10 ODIs, and Harmanpreet has made 352 at 39.11 over the same stretch.
Bowling
Renuka Thakur returns with the new ball, and Sree Charani, Deepti Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Sayali Satghare give India plenty of options. Few teams in the format have as much variety.
The Questions
Rodrigues is not in the squad as she recovers from a hamstring injury, so the middle order will rely on Deol and Hasabnis to fill the gap. The full 15 for the ODIs: Smriti Mandhana (c), Deepti Sharma (vc), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, and Renuka Thakur. India are also the reigning World Cup champions in this format.
Zimbabwe: What They Bring
Zimbabwe kept the exact 15 that won in Harare: Josephine Nkomo (c), Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Kelis Ndhlovu, Michelle Mavunga, Francisca Chipare, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Nyasha Gwanzura, Nomvelo Sibanda, Loryn Phiri, Chiyedza Dhururu, Modester Mupachikwa, Tendai Makusha, and Sharne Mayers.
Three things stand out:
- A batting core with ODI experience. Biza has scored 237 runs in nine recent ODIs, and Mugeri-Tiripano top-scored for Zimbabwe in the second T20I.
- A spin option in Ndhlovu. The slow left-armer has taken 16 wickets in her last 10 ODIs.
- A seam group that has shown it can take wickets. Gwanzura has six in her last four ODIs, and Chipare has five.
The real test is whether the batters can last 50 overs. In the T20Is, Zimbabwe never got a total close to India’s attack.
Key Players and the Matchups That Matter
Rather than list names, think in matchups:
- Mandhana against Gwanzura’s new-ball spell. Gwanzura gave Zimbabwe their best moments in the first T20I. If she takes early wickets again, India’s chase gets tense.
- Shafali and Harmanpreet against Zimbabwe’s spin. Both thrive on boundaries, and Ndhlovu’s left-arm spin needs to keep them quiet in the middle overs.
- Renuka and Charani against Biza and Mugeri-Tiripano. If those two batters survive the first 15 overs, Zimbabwe get a platform. If not, the innings can collapse quickly.
- Mayers and Mupachikwa down the order. Mayers passed fifty in the last T20I, and her form could lift a modest total.
Ground Notes: Kotambi
Kotambi’s women’s ODI history is short but heavy on runs. The ground opened with three ODIs in December 2024, all won by India over West Indies. They made 314 for 9 in the first, won by 115 runs after scoring 358 for 5 in the second, and chased a target of 163 for a five-wicket win in the third. The pattern suggests runs come in the opening 30 overs, while the surface slows down later. A 2:00 PM start means the first innings plays in full daylight, so watch the weather before the toss.
Prediction
India should win this, and win well. Zimbabwe need Biza and Mugeri-Tiripano to put on a big stand and the seamers to take early wickets. Even then, India’s batting depth through Harmanpreet and Deol makes defending any realistic total difficult.
Three things would make it closer:
- Zimbabwe batting out the first 20 overs without losing more than two wickets.
- A total of 230 or more.
- India’s top order getting out cheaply to Gwanzura and Nkomo.
Without that, expect a comfortable home win.
Final Word
This series is a lesson for Zimbabwe and a warm-up for India. For the hosts, it is another chance to build momentum under a captain who just won her first series, and to see how a squad rebuilds without Rodrigues. For the visitors, it is the first time their players will face this level of opposition in the longer format. Every wicket they take, and every partnership they build, helps their Championship campaign. Our website, Betbricks7, covers cricket previews and match coverage all season, so visit betbricks7cricket.com to follow the rest of the series.
FAQs
What time does the 1st ODI start?
The match begins at 2:00 PM IST on Friday, 23 October. It is a day/night game at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Vadodara.
Have these teams played ODIs before?
No, the first ODI is their first meeting in the format. The only previous games were the three T20Is in Raipur, all won by India.
How did Zimbabwe fare in the T20Is?
India won all three games by four wickets, nine wickets, and 92 runs. Zimbabwe’s best moment was Gwanzura’s three-wicket spell in the opener.
Does this series count in the Championship?
Yes, the three ODIs count toward the ICC Women’s Championship. A win earns two points.
Who are India’s wicketkeepers in the ODI squad?
Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia are the two keepers. Bhatia is one of the squad’s recalled players.