Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Cricket are confident the more the women’s cricket team gets playing opportunities against bigger teams, the better they will become following the confirmation yesterday that the Lady Chevrons will tour India in October for six women’s international contests.
ZC Managing Director Givemore Makoni yesterday was ecstatic ahead of the first-ever bilateral international meeting between the women’s sides under the International Cricket Council Future Tours Programme.
The tour will comprise three Women’s One-Day Internationals and as many Women’s T20Is, with the ODI leg of the tour being part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2025-29.
The teams are set to clash in a three-game T20I series in Raipur between October 16-20, followed by a three-game ODI series in Baroda between October 23-28.
“This is a big boost for our women’s cricket,” said Makoni. “It obviously goes back to four-five years ago when we managed to get ODI status. We have always been serious with women’s cricket, and as you can see, it’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
“We have participated in a number of qualifiers, but we have not done so well of late. However, we said let’s invest more in the women’s game, and we are happy they have been included in the Future Tours Programme.”
Zimbabwe are part of the expanded ICC Women’s Championship for the first time.
The championship has been instrumental in ensuring more international cricket for women since its inception in 2014, and the coming in of Zimbabwe sees the number of participating teams going up to 11 in the ongoing third edition. The Women’s Championship will see all teams competing against eight other teams; four series at home and four away.
In all, 132 ODIs will be played in 44 series of three matches each, lending context by way of a qualification pathway to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2029 and giving Members the chance to club matches of other formats with those tours. The Lady Chevrons started their campaign this year in New Zealand before embarking on the current tour of Pakistan, where Zimbabwe Cricket demonstrated their intention to rebuild women’s cricket with the future in mind after sending a fairly young team.
“It’s good that they are getting to play against the top nations. We believe it’s a step in the right direction as it accelerates growth.
“Currently we have a fairly young team that is on a tour of Pakistan, and they are getting the exposure. Of course, we expect the team to get better and better the more they play against these big teams,” said Makoni.
The veteran cricket administrator also hailed the growing relations with the various global cricket boards, which has resulted in Zimbabwe getting more opportunities for international cricket in the recent past.
Makoni said the Board of Cricket Control of India, in particular has been an all-weather friend of Zimbabwe Cricket, who recently announced that the reigning world T20 champions will be touring Zimbabwe in July for a three-match T20I series.
Earlier in the year, the BCCI had also confirmed they will host Zimbabwe in January 2027 for a three-match ODI series, marking their first bilateral tour of India since March 2002 when Zimbabwe last toured the Asian country.
India, however, have toured Zimbabwe continuously in the last two decades.
Zimbabwe Women’s Tour of India:
T20I Series:
16 October, 1st T20I, Raipur
18 October, 2nd T20I, Raipur
20 October, 3rd T20I, Raipur
ODI Series:
23 October, 1st ODI, Baroda
25 October, 2nd ODI, Baroda
28 October, 3rd ODI, Baroda
