Deepti Sharma has backed Smriti Mandhana's calm leadership style ahead of India's first-ever women's T20I series against Zimbabwe, beginning in Raipur on Friday, 17 October 2025. The series marks Mandhana's first assignment as India's full-time T20I captain and is being seen as the opening chapter of the team's preparations for next year's Champions Trophy.

Deepti on Mandhana's Captaincy

Senior all-rounder Deepti Sharma spoke warmly about Mandhana's composure in a pre-match interaction with broadcasters. 'The best thing is that she stays very cool and calm. That gives you a positive feeling whenever you're playing,' she said. Deepti noted that even when Mandhana served as vice-captain, her influence in the dressing room was significant. 'We've played so many matches before, and even when she was the vice-captain, there was a lot to learn from her, and we used to share our points of view as well. Now, seeing her captain the team on the field will be really nice. The whole team seems to be in good shape, and we're looking forward to it,' she added.

Building on Recent Triumphs

India arrive in Raipur carrying strong momentum, having won the Asia Cup in Dubai and retained the Asian Games gold medal in Japan. Deepti said the squad is focused on carrying that confidence into the new series. 'We're playing Zimbabwe for the first time, and it's good to see that they've done really well in their recent series. Our focus will be on carrying the same confidence from our last two tournaments, the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, into this series. That will help us a lot,' she said. Zimbabwe, notably, have shown steady improvement in the women's game and will not be taken lightly on home ground.

Deepti's Personal Goals

The off-spin bowling all-rounder kept her individual ambitions straightforward. 'As an all-rounder, the focus is on both. My focus is on how much better I can get in all three departments every day and series by series. My approach is simple; I don't think too much about other things. I just focus on helping the team win as much as possible with my all-round performances,' she explained.

Anushka Sharma Steps Up at Number Three

Young batter Anushka Sharma will slot in at number three in the absence of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues. Anushka, who made her T20I debut against South Africa earlier this year, impressed during India A's 2-1 series win over Australia A and is eager to translate that form into the international arena. 'The focus has been on playing aggressive cricket overall, and we've been doing this in our training sessions as well,' she said. She described herself as a versatile batter capable of adapting to any situation and said her only goal was to 'fulfil whatever the team demands.' Anushka also expressed personal excitement about featuring under Mandhana's captaincy for the first time. 'Everybody knows that she's a legend of the game and the experience that she carries. She was the vice-captain for almost 10 years,' she said.

What to Watch

With the Champions Trophy build-up in mind, the series against Zimbabwe offers India an opportunity to experiment with combinations and blood younger talent in low-pressure circumstances. How Mandhana balances attacking intent at the top with consolidation in the middle order — particularly with Rodrigues unavailable — will be closely watched. The series is also a rare chance for India to test their depth against an improving African side on a fresh venue.