Selectors have named an unaltered 15-man squad for the white-ball series, with Josephine Nkomo serving as captain for Zimbabwe women’s first tour of India. The team is the same as the one that played for Zimbabwe against the West Indies in September and October; this choice shows faith in the players who played in that campaign.
Josephine Nkomo will captain Zimbabwe women on their maiden tour of India
Zimbabwe’s schedule in India starts with three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in Raipur on October 16, 18, and 20. On October 23, 25, and 28, they will play three One-Day Internationals in Baroda. The ODI leg will count toward the Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifying pathway, the ICC Women’s Championship.
There are two historical aspects to the tour. This is the first time that women from Zimbabwe will visit India, and it’s also the first time that women’s international cricket at any level will be played between the two countries.
Zimbabwe’s performances against the West Indies played a major role in the selectors’ decision to maintain the group. The most significant of those occurred in the second ODI in Harare, where Zimbabwe defeated the West Indies by four wickets to record their first-ever victory in the ICC Women’s Championship.
The team’s contributions to that game were dispersed. With the ball, Nyasha Gwanzura and Michelle Mavunga shared seven wickets, while Modester Mupachikwa led the batting effort with the highest individual score. When considering the entire series, Kelis Ndhlovu was the top run scorer in the T20I leg, while Beloved Biza finished as the top run scorer in the ODI matches. The selection panel had enough justification for supporting the same lineup for Zimbabwe’s most important tour to date based on those results.
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The three ODIs in Baroda are more than just bilateral competitions. The matches, which are a part of the ICC Women’s Championship, have points that go straight into the world rankings that are used to decide who qualifies for the Women’s Cricket World Cup. Zimbabwe’s standing in that table and their chances of making it to the prestigious 50-over event will therefore be shaped by every outcome in Baroda.
Although the T20I series in Raipur is not part of the Championship, it provides Zimbabwe with a useful chance to get used to Indian conditions prior to the start of the point-bearing games. When the competitive stakes increase in Baroda, it may be helpful to get used to the pitches and climate early on.
Zimbabwe women full squad for India tour 2026
Josephine Nkomo (capt), Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Kelis Ndhlovu, Michelle Mavunga, Francisca Chipare, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Nyasha Gwanzura, Nomvelo Sibanda, Loryn Phiri, Chiyedza Dhururu, Modester Mupachikwa, Tendai Makusha, Sharne Mayers.
