October 2026: Zimbabwe in India — the Mandhana Era Begins

The season opened with a slice of history: the first-ever women’s series between India and Zimbabwe, and Mandhana’s first assignment as full-time captain. The T20Is in Raipur ended in a 3–0 sweep:

• Oct 16: India won by 4 wickets — Zimbabwe 114/5, India 116/6 (Deepti Sharma, Player of the Match, rescued a chase that wobbled at 22/4)
• Oct 18: India won by 9 wickets — Zimbabwe 102/8, India 104/1 in just 8.5 overs (Shafali Verma’s 25-ball fifty)
• Oct 20: India won by 92 runs — India 216/7 (Harmanpreet Kaur 91* off 41, Shafali 69), Zimbabwe 124/7 (Nandani Sharma 3/18)

Harmanpreet, now playing under her former deputy, was Player of the Series with 128 runs.

The tour concludes with three ODIs at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on October 23, 25 and 28 (2:00 PM IST) — matches that count toward the ICC Women’s Championship 2025–29, the qualification pathway for the 2029 World Cup.

December 2026: South Africa — Seven Matches, All Three Formats

Note: this itinerary was revised by Cricket South Africa in August — if you’ve seen an older version (ODIs first, Test at Christmas), update it. The tour now runs December 9–30:

• Only Test: Dec 9–12, St George’s Park, Gqeberha — a rare women’s Test at one of the game’s oldest venues
• ODIs (ICC Women’s Championship): Dec 16, Boland Park, Paarl · Dec 19, Newlands, Cape Town · Dec 22, Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein
• T20Is (newly added): Dec 26, Willowmoore Park, Benoni · Dec 29 & 30, NWC Oval, Potchefstroom

CSA confirmed the revised schedule, with the T20Is added specifically as preparation for the Champions Trophy.

The subplots write themselves: it’s a rematch of the 2025 World Cup final (India beat South Africa to win the title), the ODI leg carries Championship points, and India has a score to settle in the T20Is—South Africa beat them 4–1 in a T20I series in April 2026 and again at the T20 World Cup, where India’s campaign ended in the group stage. Seven matches in 22 days, ending with a Boxing Day T20I, is the toughest block of India’s season.

January–February 2027: WPL 2027

The Women’s Premier League returns with its auction on October 28, 2026, in Kochi (146 players registered), and the season runs from January 14 to February 7, 2027. RCB are the defending champions, having beaten Delhi Capitals in the 2026 final — remarkably, DC have now finished runners-up in all four WPL editions, while Mumbai Indians remain two-time champions. Venues for 2027 are yet to be officially confirmed. The WPL window also overlaps the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Nepal and Bangladesh, where India defend their title — a clash that has already affected squad planning.

February 2027: The Inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy — in Sri Lanka

The season’s climax is a brand-new ICC event: the first Women’s Champions Trophy, February 14–28, 2027, hosted by Sri Lanka, played in the T20 format between six teams — Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka — with the top two meeting in the final. CSA’s announcement of the South Africa T20Is explicitly frames them as preparation for “the maiden ICC Women’s Champions Trophy held in Sri Lanka in February”.

For India, this tournament carries an extra edge: after the disappointment of a group-stage exit at the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy is the first chance to reassert themselves in the shortest format — with the world watching a format of event the women’s game has never had before.

The Season Story

Put it together, and 2026–27 is a season of transition handled at full speed: a new captain bedding in, the ODI crown to build a new Championship cycle around, a T20 reputation to rebuild, and two trophies (WPL, Champions Trophy) plus a World Cup pathway all live at once. The depth being tested now — Nandani Sharma, Niki Prasad and the next wave — decides how long India’s era lasts.

You can follow every series — live scores, schedules and women’s cricket coverage — on platforms like CricBet99.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is India’s women’s captain now?
Smriti Mandhana, who took over as full-time captain in October 2026, had her first series against Zimbabwe, which ended in a 3–0 T20I sweep.

When do Indian women play South Africa?
December 9–30, 2026: a test in Gqeberha (Dec 9–12), ODIs on Dec 16, 19 and 22, and T20Is on Dec 26, 29 and 30.

When is WPL 2027?
The auction is on October 28, 2026, in Kochi; the season runs January 14 – February 7, 2027.

Where is the Women’s Champions Trophy 2027?
Sri Lanka, February 14–28, 2027 — six teams, T20 format, the first edition of the tournament.

Do the Zimbabwe and South Africa ODIs matter for World Cup qualification?
Yes—both series are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2025–29, which decides qualification for the 2029 ODI World Cup.