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To make the women's T20I match between India and Zimbabwe in Raipur special, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister has reportedly taken a massive step. Media reports say the CM has suggested free entry for women's cricket fans to the match.
It will be the first women's international match in Raipur. In the three-match T20I series, the first will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium on October 16. The next two matches are scheduled for October 18 and October 20.
ODIs after India vs Zimbabwe women's T20I matches
After the conclusion of the T20Is, teams will move to Vadodara for a three-match ODI series from October 23 to 28. On the other side, Elite Group A games in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy will be held in Surat.
The matches were originally scheduled to be held in Delhi. But the Arun Jaitley Stadium is set to undergo drainage and pitch upgrades. Palam grounds are currently being used for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy matches. Therefore, the Elite Group A games will be arranged at CK Pithawala Ground and Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat.
Chhattisgarh's cricket governing body confirms free tickets for women
A Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) source informed the news agency IANS that when their officials went to invite Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to watch the T20I series, the CM floated the idea of free tickets for the women's cricket fans.
CSCS source mentioned that they confirmed their decision to issue free tickets to women spectators for the match as per the Chief Minister's suggestion. Amid Navaratri, the move is expected to add more value to the game.
"The Chhattisgarh CM suggested free ticketing for female spectators yesterday when he was invited to watch the T20I games by the state association. This happened because of the CM's suggestion, as one cannot refuse the CM's suggestion," the source told IANS on Thursday.
“Navratri is also going on, and having as many female spectators as possible in the T20I matches will add more spark to the festive season in Raipur," the source further added.
On behalf of the state cricket association, president Mohan Das, director Vijay Shah, former president Mukul Tiwari, secretary Vintesh Agrawal, along with G S Murthy, Vinay Bajaj and other office-bearers extended their invitation to Vishnu Deo Sai for the India vs Zimbabwe women's T20I series.
Smriti Mandhana to make her debut as Team India's full-time captain
The series will mark Smriti Mandhana's first series as India women's national cricket team's full-time captain. After Harmanpreet Kaur, Mandhana, who was the vice-captain under Kaur, was automatically appointed as the captain of the team.
The Indian women's cricket team is currently in promising form as they won gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games. Kaur led the team to glory, with Mandhana playing a crucial role. The changes in leadership came after the women's cricket event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. As the home team, the Indian women's team will try their best to clinch the series against Zimbabwe.
