Smriti Mandhana is chasing the unthinkable, a record she has never achieved in cricket

Smriti Mandhana will have history in her sights when India begin their T20I series against Zimbabwe’s Josephine Nkomo on Thursday, October 16. The Indian opener is just 133 runs short of becoming the first batsman in cricket history to reach 5,000 runs in T20Is, giving her the opportunity to achieve the unprecedented milestone in front of her home crowd.

Since her debut in 2013, Mandhana has amassed 4,867 runs in 179 T20I matches at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 127.47 with 2 centuries and 37 half-centuries. With three matches against Zimbabwe on the schedule, the left-hander has a real opportunity to hit the milestone during the series.

Her consistency at the top of the order will be key as India will look to get off to a flying start against the visiting side. The series also marks a significant new chapter in Mandhana’s career as the veteran batsman prepares to take over India as their full-time captain across formats.

Taking charge for Soak in Smriti Mandhana on the first day of training as #TeamIndia Captain #INDvZIM | @mandhana_smriti | @mflone_ BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 13, 2026

MANDHANA STARTS A NEW ERA OF CAPTAINS

Mandhana takes over from Harmanpreet Kaurwho stepped down as captain earlier this month after leading India successfully defended their cricket gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The new captain brings leadership experience from her time at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which she led to two Women’s Premier League titles.

Although this will be her first series as India’s full-time captain, Mandhana has so far led the national team on an interim basis. She has captained India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs, winning 11 T20Is and all four ODIs. The Zimbabwe series will therefore offer her an opportunity to push her own approach while continuing her pursuit of individual milestones.

Three T20Is will be played in Raipur on October 16, 18 and 20, followed by three ODIs in Vadodara on October 23, 25 and 28. The tour is historic as it is the first ever bilateral women’s cricket series between India and Zimbabwe.

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