Josephine Nkomo will lead Zimbabwe women into their first-ever bilateral international series against India, with the three-match T20I series beginning in Raipur on Friday. The tour also features three ODIs in Vadodara, forming part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2025–29.
A right-arm medium-fast bowler and right-handed batter, Nkomo is an all-rounder who was appointed Zimbabwe’s women’s captain in July 2026. She takes charge of a side that recently registered a landmark victory against the West Indies, earning the team’s first points in the ICC Women’s Championship.
Born on 21 May 1997 in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe, Nkomo made her international debut in a T20I against Namibia on 5 January, 2019. She made her ODI debut against Ireland on 5 October, 2021 and has since become an established member of Zimbabwe’s national side.
Nkomo has scored 601 runs in 21 ODIs at an average of 42.93, including six half-centuries. She has also taken 26 wickets in the format. In T20Is, she has accumulated 675 runs in 73 matches and claimed 68 wickets, underlining her ability to contribute in both departments.
Josephine Nkomo’s domestic cricket achievements
Before establishing herself as Zimbabwe’s international captain, Nkomo built her reputation in the country’s domestic cricket circuit, representing Rhinos Women in the Fifty50 Challenge and Women’s T20 Cup.
Nkomo’s most notable domestic achievement came in the Fifty50 Challenge, where she finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer in consecutive seasons in 2020-21 (294 runs) and 2021-22 (268 runs). Rhinos reached the final in both editions but finished runners-up on both occasions.
In the inaugural 2020-21 season, Rhinos won four of their six league matches to qualify for the final, where they lost to Mountaineers. They finished second again in 2021-22, before recording another second-place finish in the 2022-23 league stage.
Nkomo’s performances in the domestic one-day competition demonstrated her consistency as a batter and helped establish her as a player capable of contributing across formats.
Her experience leading Rhinos also provided her with exposure to captaincy responsibilities before she took on a senior leadership role with Zimbabwe.
She has also represented Zimbabwe A Women, Southerns Women and Zimbabwe HPC Women.
Nkomo’s role in Zimbabwe’s historic victory
Nkomo’s leadership will be tested against India following Zimbabwe’s breakthrough ODI victory over the West Indies on 27 September at Harare Sports Club.
Zimbabwe defeated the Caribbean side by four wickets after restricting them to 139. Nyasha Gwanzura returned career-best figures of 4/33, while Nkomo scored 30 runs during the chase. Zimbabwe chased the target with 55 balls remaining, securing their first-ever points in the ICC Women’s Championship.
The selectors subsequently retained the same 15-member squad for the India tour, backing the group responsible for the historic result. However, Zimbabwe’s recent T20I results against the West Indies offered a different challenge. They lost all three matches in the series before travelling to India.
What did Josephine Nkomo say ahead of the India series?
Nkomo described the victory over the West Indies as a confidence booster ahead of the India series. She also identified the tour as an opportunity for Zimbabwe’s players to learn from a leading international side.
“Of course, it was a big confidence booster for us to win a game against the West Indies, one of the best women’s teams in the world. Taking that confidence into this series will play a huge part,” Nkomo said at a press conference ahead of the opening T20I in Raipur.
She added that the team hoped to learn from the experience and inspire young cricketers in Zimbabwe.
The tour begins with T20Is on 16, 18 and 20 October in Raipur. The teams will then move to Vadodara for ODIs on 23, 25 and 28 October. The ODI series will provide Zimbabwe with another opportunity to collect points in the ICC Women’s Championship.
