India, Oct. 16 -- India Women begin their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe Women in Raipur on Friday, October 16, with Smriti Mandhana taking charge as full-time captain for the first time. The opening match will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

The series marks the first bilateral T20I meeting between the two teams. India will look to start with a win under Mandhana, while Zimbabwe will aim to make an impression against a more experienced opponent.

Smriti Mandhana Begins Her Captaincy Era

Mandhana takes over from Harmanpreet Kaur, who has stepped down as India's captain but remains part of the squad. Shafali Verma has been named vice-captain, giving India an experienced opening pair in the lea...