Deepti Sharma embraces ODI vice-captaincy as India open Zimbabwe series
Deepti Sharma has a new title going into India's home ODI series against Zimbabwe. Speaking on the eve of the opener, the all-rounder said she was ready for the added responsibility of vice-captain and wanted to help Smriti Mandhana and the group as much as she could. She described the role as a challenge she welcomed, not a burden.
The appointment is part of a leadership reset in Indian women's cricket. Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain on the day the squads were named, while saying she remained available as a player. The selectors made Mandhana full-time captain across white-ball formats. They split the deputy's job by format: Shafali Verma is vice-captain in T20Is and Deepti in ODIs. Harmanpreet is still in both squads, so the new captain has her predecessor's batting to lean on.
Deepti is hardly new to leading from the second row. She was Mandhana's deputy when India hosted Ireland in January 2025, with Mandhana captaining in Harmanpreet's absence. India won that series 3-0. What has changed is that this is now a settled leadership group, not a stand-in arrangement.
Her record explains why the job suits her. In 2024 she took 24wickets in 13 ODIs and added 186 runs, which helped earn her a place in the ICC's ODI team of the year. She was also named in the team of the tournament after India's historic Women's World Cup win in November 2025. Few players in the squad have more experience of winning matches with bat or ball, and that is the kind of authority a vice-captain needs. By her own account, the more games she wins for India, the more she helps Mandhana.
The series comes after a strong start under the new captain. India swept the three T20Is in Raipur 3-0, which was also the first bilateral women's T20I series between the two countries. They closed it out with a 92-run win in the third match after posting 216 batting first. That series also marked the start of Mandhana's full-time captaincy, and the team is travelling to Vadodara in good spirits.
The 50-over format brings a different set of questions. India's middle order has had its share of struggles in ODIs. Selectors have named Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal in the ODI squad, and the team management has to decide how to use them in the batting order after Anushka Sharma and Niki Prasad were tried in the T20Is. Shafali Verma, who is in the ODI squad, is expected to provide the early impetus. Sree Charani is among the bowlers who could be asked to bowl a full quota of overs.
The ODI squad also includes Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia as wicketkeepers, along with Tejal Hasabnis, Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare. Renuka Thakur is named in the squad too. Zimbabwe, led by Josephine Nkomo, arrive with a squad that includes Beloved Biza, Kelis Ndhlovu and Michelle Mavunga. The visitors are heavy underdogs, but the series gives them valuable exposure against a World Cup-winning side.
All three ODIs will be played at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara. The first is on Friday, October 23, the second on Sunday, October 25 and the third on Wednesday, October 28. Every match starts at 2:00 PM IST. For India, the series matters beyond the scoreline. It is the first real chance to see how Mandhana and Deepti work together in the 50-over game, with both leading from the front.