India’s women will finally meet Zimbabwe on the field, with the BCCI confirming a six-match white-ball visit in mid-October. It is Zimbabwe Women’s maiden tour of India and, rather curiously, India have never been across to Zimbabwe either, so both teams are venturing into fresh territory.
The schedule is straightforward: three T20 Internationals in Raipur on 16, 18 and 20 October, followed by three one-dayers in Baroda on 23, 25 and 28 October. A short, sharp trip, but one that should still give both squads the sort of competitive cricket they have struggled to find on a regular basis.
“The series is another step in broadening the women’s calendar,” the BCCI noted in its release. “It offers important game-time ahead of next year’s global tournaments.” Nothing flashy in that statement, though coach Amol Muzumdar has already said privately that he’s pleased to get matches “outside the usual Australia–England–New Zealand loop”.
Zimbabwe Cricket echoed that sentiment, writing: “Playing in Indian conditions is a priceless opportunity for our group.” Fair enough – touring India in October is no small deal, even if crowds tend to thin out for women’s bilateral series that sit outside the marquee names.
Beyond the senior fixtures, the board also slipped out a raft of A-team and age-group programmes. Australia A Women are in for three T20s, three List-A games and a four-day match in September; England A follow in December under the same template. The Under-19s, meanwhile, host Sri Lanka (June–July) and England (November–December), keeping the pathway busy.
A final footnote: Australia A and Australia Under-19 men both have two multi-day matches and three one-dayers pencilled in for September–October, a reminder that India’s second-string calendar is suddenly as congested as the main schedule.
Small steps, then, but worth tracking – especially for Zimbabwe, who rarely get this sort of exposure.
