India played their first women's Test in 1976 against the West Indies. For many years the team worked with limited resources, driven by the passion and records of pioneers like Diana Edulji, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami.
The 2017 World Cup final run lifted the profile of the team, and the launch of the Women's Premier League in 2023 accelerated its growth. India won the ICC Women's ODI World Cup in 2025 and now has one of the deepest pools of young talent in the game.
Coach: Amol Muzumdar
Captain: Smriti Mandhana
India and Zimbabwe’s women cricketers wore black armbands during the first T20I in Raipur on October 16, 2026, to honour former Zimbabwe cricketer and international umpire Sarah Dambanevana, who died aged 36. A minute’s silence was observed before the match.
Deepti Sharma scored 49 and debutant Niki Prasad made an unbeaten 39 as India recovered from 19 for 4 to beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the first T20I at Raipur.
India handed Niki Prasad her T20I debut in Raipur against Zimbabwe, with captain Smriti Mandhana choosing to field after winning the toss. The team made changes to its lineup for the opening match of the series.
India women’s hockey captain and goalkeeper Savita Punia has turned her focus to an Olympic medal after helping India win a historic Asian Games gold. The experienced goalkeeper says the team’s next challenge is to build on that success on the Olympic stage.
Former India batter Punam Raut has retired from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. She finished with 3,282 runs across four Tests, 73 ODIs and 35 T20Is, and played a key role in India’s run to the 2017 Women’s World Cup final.
India Women begin their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe in Raipur on October 16. The match starts at 7 pm IST, with Star Sports Network carrying the television broadcast and JioHotstar providing live streaming in India.
