US, Oct. 15 -- Newly appointed India captain Smriti Mandhana will begin her full-time leadership tenure with a clear objective: making the most of the upcoming bilateral assignments to prepare India for the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy early next year.

India was set to host Zimbabwe for a three-match T20I series this week, followed by three ODIs, before travelling to South Africa for a multi-format tour.

The upcoming matches will give Mandhana an opportunity to establish her leadership approach, fine-tune India's combinations and address areas that need improvement, particularly in the shortest format.

With the Champions Trophy on the horizon, Mandhana believes the six T20Is ahead of the tournament will be crucial in determinin...