Mandhana's India look to extend Zimbabwe dominance in Vadodara ODIs
India's women have gone from one clean sweep to the next challenge. A 3-0 T20I series win over Zimbabwe in Raipur is done. The focus now moves to three one-day internationals in Vadodara, starting Friday, October 23. Captain Smriti Mandhana has made her aim clear: she wants the team to carry the T20I dominance into the 50-over format.
The series is historic in its own right. It is the first bilateral meeting between the two women's sides. It is also the first assignment of Mandhana's full-time captaincy. The board named her leader of the women's team on October 6, after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role across formats. Mandhana had already led India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs. India won all four of those ODIs, a clean record she will want to protect.
**How the T20Is set the tone**
The final T20I in Raipur was the most emphatic result of the series. India chose to bat and made 216 for 7. Shafali Verma hit 69 off 37 balls, and Harmanpreet, who stayed on as a player, remained unbeaten on 91 off 41 balls, with ten fours and five sixes. Zimbabwe could only manage 124 for 7 in reply. Nandni Sharma finished with three wickets. The 92-run margin is India's biggest win by runs at home in women's T20Is.
It was a good sign for the new leadership that a seasoned batter like Harmanpreet could turn in such an innings under a captain who was her team-mate for years. The transition looks smooth so far.
**The ODI squad**
The 50-over group has a different look from the T20I side, and it is stronger on batting depth. Mandhana leads, with Deepti Sharma as vice-captain. The squad is:
- Smriti Mandhana (captain)
- Shafali Verma
- Pratika Rawal
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Harleen Deol
- Tejal Hasabnis
- Deepti Sharma (vice-captain)
- Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper)
- Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper)
- Vaishnavi Sharma
- Nandni Sharma
- Sree Charani
- Kranti Gaud
- Sayali Satghare
- Renuka Thakur
The top order is rich in options. Mandhana, Shafali and Rawal can all open, and Harmanpreet and Harleen follow in the middle. Richa and Bhatia give two wicketkeeping choices. The bowling attack mixes Renuka's new-ball skill with spin from Deepti and Sree Charani, and Kranti and Satghare add pace and variety. The three ODIs give the selectors a good chance to test combinations for later in the season.
**The schedule**
All three ODIs are in Vadodara and start at 2 pm local time:
- First ODI: October 23
- Second ODI: October 25
- Third ODI: October 28
India's players have already reached the city after the Raipur leg. Playing every game at one venue lets the team settle in and read the conditions without travel disruption.
**What it means for India**
The series arrives just after India retained the Asian Games gold in Aichi-Nagoya. That adds momentum to a side that is also adjusting to a new captain. A clean ODI sweep would give Mandhana a strong start in the job. It would also show that India's batting depth and varied bowling work across formats.
Zimbabwe have had a tough tour so far, losing all three T20Is. Their task in the 50-over games is to bat through their innings and avoid collapses against India's spin and pace. For India, the main thing is to stay disciplined and keep the standards set in Raipur.