India Women Complete 3-0 Series Win Over Zimbabwe; Viral Moment as Mandhana, Kaur Skip Post-Match Handshake

India Women have sealed a 3-0 series victory against Zimbabwe, and a brief on-field moment quickly drew widespread attention in Vadodara. The Women in Blue secured an eight-wicket win in the third and final ODI.

During the post-match handshakes, former captain Harmanpreet Kaur and current captain Smriti Mandhana had a brief exchange that went trending online. As Harmanpreet moved toward the teammate, Mandhana looked in another direction, and the two missed the handshake, which became a talking point for viewers.

The moment was brief, and there is no clear evidence to suggest it reflected tension between the two players. Recently, Harmanpreet handed over her captaincy to Mandhana after the Asian Games Gold Medal victory. The Zimbabwe series serves as the first assignment for Mandhana, where she comfortably won both the ODI and T20I legs.

How well did both players perform in this series?

Harmanpreet featured in two T20I innings, scoring 92 runs at a strike rate of 204.44, and added a solitary ODI outing with 126 runs. She also posted a brilliant century in the second ODI to guide the unit to a fighting total. Meanwhile, Mandhana struggled with form in the ODI leg but contributed 56 runs across two T20I innings.

Kaur has amassed over 8,000 international runs across formats, including nine centuries. Mandhana, meanwhile, has surpassed 9,000 runs with 18 hundreds to her name, consistently anchoring the side at the top of the order. As she takes on the new role of captain, attention will focus on how she balances leadership with her batting responsibilities.

Mandhana’s next challenge involves a full-format tour of South Africa, beginning with a Tour Match against the emerging players on December 6 at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. This will be followed by a standalone Test on December 9, then three ODIs and three T20Is.

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