The 22-year-old Assam pacer Jintimani Kalita makes India debut in 1st ODI vs Zimbabwe in VadodaraKnow her journey from WPL to Team India as Renuka Singh’s replacement.
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Jintimani Kalita receives her ODI debut cap from Harmanpreet Kaur (Photo: BCCI)
IND vs ZIM 1st ODI: India began their three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in Vadodara on Friday, with young pacer Jintimani Kalita earning her maiden international capThe 22-year-old all-rounder received her cap from Harmanpreet Kaur, marking a major milestone in her cricketing career.
The debut comes after India completed a 3-0 clean sweep in the T20I seriesSmriti Mandhana’s side will now look to carry that winning form into the 50-over format, although the team has made several changes to its playing XI.
Kalita earned her place in the ODI squad after being named as Renuka Singh Thakur’s replacement for the three-match seriesRenuka was ruled out as she continued working on building the bowling workload required for the 50-over format at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Kalita was part of India’s squad for the T20I series against Zimbabwe but did not play in any of the three matchesHer ODI debut now gives her an opportunity to show her skills at the international level.
The smile says it all
Picture-perfect moments as Jintimani Kalita receives her ODI debut cap from Harmanpreet Kaur
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India have included several changes to their line-up as they shift from T20Is to ODIsMandhana said the players would need some time to adjust to the longer format but had prepared during their practice sessions.
Smriti Mandhana explains India’s team changes
Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first, putting India in the fieldIndian captain Smriti Mandhana said her team had also preferred to bat first, as the overhead conditions appeared favourable for batting.
“We were looking to bat first as well; overhead conditions are good to bat, but it’s a good thing we will know what to chaseWe have a debut: JintimaniExciting player, she had a good India A series, and we have a couple of changes from the T20I side for sureBalancing T20Is and ODIs… this format, we all know that we’ve done well in the pastIt will take some time for us to adapt, but everyone in the net session practised thatWe played on black soil here during the WPL, but it’s back to red, which is more like the Baroda soil we know,” Smriti said after losing the toss.
Zimbabwe captain Nomvelo Sibanda said her team wanted to put up a strong total and put pressure on IndiaShe also confirmed that regular captain Nkomo was unavailable due to a minor injury.
India and Zimbabwe playing XIs for 1st ODI
Zimbabwe Women: Beloved Biza, Sharne Mayers, Nyasha Gwanzura, Modester Mupachikwa (wk), Chiedza Dhururu, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Michelle Mavunga, Nomvelo Sibanda (c), Tendai Makusha, Loryn Phiri, and Olinder Chare.
India Women: Smriti Mandhana (c), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Jintimani Kalita
Who Is Jintimani Kalita?
Jintimani Kalita is a right-arm medium-fast bowler from Assam who has progressed through domestic cricket and India A assignmentsShe made history in 2023 by becoming the first woman cricketer from Assam to feature in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
Mumbai Indians signed her for Rs 10 lakh at the inaugural WPL auctionShe went on to play 13 matches for the franchise across two seasons.
In January 2026, Gujarat Giants signed Kalita for Rs 10 lakh as an injury replacement for Titas Sadhu, although she did not feature in a match for the team.
Kalita also gained experience through India A’s white-ball series against Australia A in September 2026 and an earlier tour of EnglandHer ODI debut is another step forward in her career, and she will hope to make the most of the opportunity against Zimbabwe.
