Zimbabwe women are about to travel to India for the first time. The Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket Team October 2026 India tour schedule has six white-ball matches, starting with three T20Is in Raipur on 16 October. Three ODIs in Vadodara follow.
It is the first bilateral women’s series between the two countries, and the first time Zimbabwe have toured India. All details below are accurate as of 6 October 2026.
Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket Team October 2026 India tour schedule at a glance
The tour has six matches in 13 days, with the format changing after the third game. Times below are local Indian time as listed by Cricinfo.
| Date | Match | Format | Venue | Start |
| 16 October | 1st T20I | T20I (night) | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur | 7:00 pm |
| 18 October | 2nd T20I | T20I (night) | Raipur | 7:00 pm |
| 20 October | 3rd T20I | T20I (night) | Raipur | 7:00 pm |
| 23 October | 1st ODI | ODI (day-night) | Baroda Cricket Association Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara | 2:00 pm |
| 25 October | 2nd ODI | ODI (day-night) | Vadodara | 2:00 pm |
| 28 October | 3rd ODI | ODI (day-night) | Vadodara | 2:00 pm |
The ODIs are listed as ICC Women’s Championship matches. Zimbabwe are playing in that Championship for the first time.
The T20Is fall on a Friday, a Sunday and a Tuesday. The ODIs follow on a Friday, a Sunday and a Wednesday, so the tour repeats the same rhythm in both formats.
T20I series in Raipur
All three T20Is are at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. They take place on 16, 18 and 20 October, with a 7:00 pm start.
The matches come one day apart, with a rest day after each game. That rhythm suits a touring side adjusting to new conditions.
What Zimbabwe will face
India are defending ODI World Cup champions, so the home side starts as heavy favourites. For Zimbabwe, the realistic aim is to compete in each match and learn from the experience.
ODI series in Vadodara
The ODIs move to Vadodara, with matches on 23, 25 and 28 October. Each is a day-night game that starts at 2:00 pm local time.
Two clear days separate the last T20I on 20 October from the first ODI. That is enough time to travel and reset.
Zimbabwe’s Championship matches so far include the ODIs in Pakistan in May and the home series against West Indies this month. The Vadodara games carry Championship points, so they matter more for Zimbabwe than the T20Is do. This is their first time in the Championship, and every point will count.
Match times in India, GMT and Zimbabwe
The T20Is start at 7:00 pm in India, which is 1:30 pm GMT. Zimbabwe is two hours ahead of GMT, so that works out to 3:30 pm there.
The ODIs start at 2:00 pm in India, which is 8:30 am GMT. In Zimbabwe, the clock will read 10:30 am.
Cricinfo lists the GMT times, and ESPN shows the T20Is at 9:30 am and the ODIs at 4:30 am Eastern time. The Zimbabwe conversion is simple arithmetic.
Zimbabwe form and squad
Cricinfo billed the tour as India’s maiden women’s bilateral series against Zimbabwe, with three T20Is and three ODIs in October.
Recent results
Zimbabwe hosted West Indies in Harare from 24 September. Hayley Matthews was due to lead the visitors in the ODIs before taking personal leave ahead of the T20Is. West Indies won the first ODI by 99 runs, and Zimbabwe won the second by four wickets.
Zimbabwe also made their first tour of Pakistan in May. Pakistan took the Championship points in the three ODIs on 4, 6 and 9 May. Earlier this year, Zimbabwe toured New Zealand as well.
I could not confirm the result of the third ODI on 30 September. The T20I leg in Harare runs on 3, 5 and 7 October, nine days before the first match in Raipur.
Captain and squad
Josephine Nkomo is the full-time captain after Mary-Anne Musonda retired. The squad for India was not yet public in the sources I checked.
Loreen Tshuma was injured for the West Indies series, and Lorraine Pemhiwa and Lindokuhle Mabhera were left out of that group. Those names are worth watching when the India squad appears.
The group named for the West Indies series offers some clues. Chiedza Dhururu was recalled, and 19-year-old legspinner Olinder Chare, who made her T20I debut in Pakistan in May, is back. Kudzai Chigora, 20, was picked for the ODIs only, and Francisca Chipare for the T20Is only.
Leading T20I run scorers
| Player | T20I runs | Average |
| Modester Mupachikwa | 1,656 | 28.55 |
| Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano | 1,392 | 24.85 |
| Kelis Ndhlovu | 1,208 | 21.57 |
These figures are Zimbabwe’s three highest career T20I totals as of early October 2026. I cannot say yet whether all three will travel.
India build-up and squad news
India have not yet announced a squad. The women’s selection committee, led by Amita Sharma, was expected to meet on 6 October to pick the group.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have led India’s recent squads as captain and vice-captain. One report said the six-match series lets the management look at players outside the established core.
The board also held a review meeting in Guwahati with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar. The Zimbabwe series gives the selectors a chance to look at players outside the main group.
India beat Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the Asian Games semi-final and were set to face Pakistan in the final on 3 October. That tournament ends just before this series begins.
India tour South Africa from 9 December. The 2027 Women’s Champions Trophy then starts in India on 14 February, so every home series between now and then carries extra weight.
What to watch
Raipur hosts three night games. Zimbabwe must adjust quickly to evening conditions, and the 7:00 pm start gives them little time to do it after arrival.
The batting will matter most. Zimbabwe’s top three T20I run scorers are Modester Mupachikwa, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and Kelis Ndhlovu. If they travel, Zimbabwe have experience at the top of the order.
The Championship angle makes the ODIs more interesting. Zimbabwe are new to that table, and each match is a chance to learn how the competition works.
Zimbabwe have shown they can win at this level. They beat West Indies by four wickets in the second ODI of the home series on 27 September.
I would back Zimbabwe to compete in a game or two, mainly in the ODIs. A series win against the defending world champions looks unlikely, but the points and the experience still matter.
Latest news note
As of 6 October 2026, the dates, venues and start times are confirmed. The India squad was due to be named on 6 October, and the Zimbabwe squad was not yet public in the sources I checked.
Zimbabwe are still playing in Harare. The tour of India is their next assignment after that.
Key takeaways
- First match: 1st T20I, 16 October, Raipur, 7:00 pm local time.
- T20I dates: 16, 18 and 20 October at the same stadium.
- ODI dates: 23, 25 and 28 October in Vadodara, starting at 2:00 pm.
- Zimbabwe captain: Josephine Nkomo.
- Start times: 7:00 pm India time for the T20Is and 2:00 pm for the ODIs.
- First time: this is Zimbabwe’s first tour of India.
- Championship: the ODIs are listed as ICC Women’s Championship matches.
- Squads: India were due to pick on 6 October, and Zimbabwe had not yet named a squad in the sources I checked.
FAQs
When does the Zimbabwe women tour of India start?
The tour starts on 16 October with the first T20I in Raipur.
Where are the ODIs played?
The three ODIs are at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Vadodara on 23, 25 and 28 October.
What time do the matches start?
The T20Is start at 7:00 pm local time, and the ODIs start at 2:00 pm local time.
Who captains Zimbabwe women?
Josephine Nkomo is the full-time captain.
Are the ODIs part of the ICC Women’s Championship?
Yes, the ODIs are listed as ICC Women’s Championship matches.
Conclusion
The Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket Team October 2026 India tour schedule is a milestone for a team that is still growing. Six matches in two cities will test them against the reigning ODI champions.
As of 6 October 2026, the fixtures are set at Raipur and Vadodara. The squads, especially India’s, are the main details still to be confirmed.
Zimbabwe will not win every game, and nobody expects that. A first tour of India is still a chance to leave a mark.