Photo via Rediff

Smriti Mandhana era begins: India's T20 woes in focus

Smriti Mandhana will lead the Indian women’s T20 team for the first time as captain in a three-match series against Zimbabwe, beginning Friday in Raipur. The series marks a critical test for India, which has struggled in recent T20 World Cups due to inconsistent middle-order batting, fielding lapses, and a need for sharper bowling.

Zimbabwe, under Josephine Nkomo, enters the series on a high after defeating the West Indies in an ODI last month, adding pressure on India to address its weaknesses—particularly in maintaining momentum after early powerplays and grooming more aggressive lower-order hitters to complement Richa Ghosh. The team will also look to build on recent ODI successes, including their 2022 World Cup win, while preparing for an upcoming ODI series in Vadodara later this month.

With Harmanpreet Kaur now a specialist batter under greater scrutiny, and bowlers like Nandni Sharma and Prema Rawat needing to step up, Mandhana’s leadership will be pivotal in refining India’s approach in the shortest format.

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