Renuka Singh ruled out of Zimbabwe ODIs; Jintimani Kalita named replacement
Synopsis
Renuka Singh Thakur's workload management continues to keep her sidelined — she missed Asia Cup and Asian Games game time despite being in squads, and now sits out the Zimbabwe ODIs too. Jintimani Kalita steps in, and the series doubles as Smriti Mandhana's first ODI assignment as India's all-format captain.
Key Takeaways
Renuka Singh Thakur has been ruled out of India's three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe , beginning 24 October in Vadodara .
She is at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru , building up bowling volume to meet the ten-over requirement for the 50-over format.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Jintimani Kalita has been named as her replacement and has already joined the squad in Vadodara.
Jintimani was retained by Gujarat Giants ahead of the 2027 Women's Premier League .
The series marks Smriti Mandhana's first ODI series as India's all-format captain.
All three ODIs will be played at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara , at 2 pm IST on 24, 26, and 29 October .
India pacer Renuka Singh Thakur has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, with selectors calling up seam-bowling all-rounder Jintimani Kalita as her replacement ahead of the series in Vadodara. The announcement was made on Thursday, 22 October, just a day before the first ODI at the BCA Stadium.
Why Renuka Was Ruled Out
Renuka Singh Thakur is currently working on building up her bowling workload at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, and has not yet regained the capacity to bowl the full ten overs required in the 50-over format. Her last ODI appearance came against Australia in Hobart earlier this year.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the development in an official statement. 'She is still building up the bowling volume required for the 50-over format at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Jintimani, who was part of the just-concluded T20I series in Raipur, has travelled with the team to Baroda, where the ODI series will be played from tomorrow,' Saikia said.
Notably, Renuka had featured in India's squad that clinched the ODI World Cup last year on home soil, but missed out on actual game time in both the Asia Cup triumph in Dubai and the Asian Games gold medal win in Japan, despite being included in those squads.
Who Is Jintimani Kalita
Jintimani Kalita, a seam-bowling all-rounder, arrives in Vadodara fresh from the T20I series against Zimbabwe in Raipur. She was recently retained by Gujarat Giants ahead of the 2027 Women's Premier League (WPL), underlining her growing standing in Indian women's cricket. She joins a pace group that includes Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, and Sayali Satghare.
India's Bowling Depth and Spin Options
The spin department looks well-stocked for the series. Vice-captain Deepti Sharma, along with Sree Charani and Vaishnavi Sharma, provides the Indian team management with versatile options across conditions. The pace and spin balance gives captain Smriti Mandhana considerable flexibility in her first ODI series at the helm across all formats.
Series Details and First-Time Milestone
The three ODIs against Zimbabwe mark the first series India will play since Smriti Mandhana was appointed all-format captain. All matches will be held at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, starting at 2 pm IST. The first ODI is on Friday, 24 October, the second on Sunday, 26 October, and the third on Wednesday, 29 October. Zimbabwe face a formidable challenge as they take on the reigning ODI world champions.
India's updated ODI squad: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma (vc), Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Vaishnavi Sharma, Nandni Sharma, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, and Jintimani Kalita.
With Mandhana's captaincy era in ODIs now formally underway, all eyes will be on how India manage their pace resources — and whether Renuka's return to full fitness can be timed ahead of a busier international calendar.
Point of View
Yet unused — are raising quiet questions about the BCCI's workload management protocols and whether early inclusion in squads before readiness serves anyone's interests. Her last ODI was in Hobart earlier this year, and the Zimbabwe series was a realistic comeback window that has now closed. Jintimani Kalita is a capable replacement, but India's pace depth in the 50-over format remains thinner than it appears on paper. The more significant storyline here is Smriti Mandhana's first series as all-format captain — how she deploys this bowling group against a modest Zimbabwe side will set early benchmarks for her leadership tenure.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Renuka Singh Thakur been ruled out of the Zimbabwe ODI series?
Renuka Singh Thakur has been ruled out because she is still building up the bowling workload needed to bowl the full ten overs required in the 50-over format. She is currently training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and was not available for the series.
Who has replaced Renuka Singh in India's ODI squad for the Zimbabwe series?
Seam-bowling all-rounder Jintimani Kalita has been named as Renuka's replacement. Jintimani had already been part of the T20I series against Zimbabwe in Raipur and has since joined the team in Vadodara.
When and where will India play the ODI series against Zimbabwe?
The three ODIs will be played at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, starting at 2 pm IST. The first match is on 24 October, the second on 26 October, and the third on 29 October.
What is significant about this ODI series for India?
This is the first ODI series India will play under Smriti Mandhana as all-format captain. It also features India as reigning ODI World Champions, making it an early test of Mandhana's leadership across formats.
What is Jintimani Kalita's recent cricket background?
Jintimani Kalita is a seam-bowling all-rounder who participated in the just-concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe in Raipur. She was also retained by Gujarat Giants ahead of the 2027 Women's Premier League.
