Jintimani Kalita made her India debut in the first women's ODI against Zimbabwe in Vadodara, receiving her maiden cap from Harmanpreet Kaur. The Assam pacer replaced Renuka Singh in the ODI squad after being part of India's T20I squad without playing a match.Jintimani Kalita made her India debut in the first ODI vs Zimbabwe.
Courtesy: BCCI WomenNew Delhi,Oct 23, 2026 14:19 ISTJintimani Kalita took a big step in her cricketing journey on Friday as the young pacer made her India debut in the first women's ODI against Zimbabwe in Vadodara. The 22-year-old received her maiden India cap from Harmanpreet Kaur, marking a proud milestone for the Assam cricketer as she stepped onto the international stage.Kalita earned her opportunity after being named as Renuka Singh Thakur's replacement in India's ODI squad.
Renuka was ruled out of the three-match series as she continued to build the bowling workload required for the 50-over format at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.India vs Zimbabwe, 1st Women's ODI: Updates | ScorecardKalita had been part of India's squad for the preceding three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe but did not feature in any of the matches. India completed a 3-0 sweep of the series before moving to Vadodara for the one-day internationals.
The ODI debut marks an important milestone for the Assam cricketer, who has worked her way through domestic cricket, the Women's Premier League (WPL) and India A assignments to earn an opportunity at the international level.WHO IS JINTIMANI KALITA Jintimani Kalita played 13 matches for Mumbai Indians in the WPL. Courtesy: BCCI Women Kalita hails from Assam and is a right-arm medium-fast bowler.
She has progressed through the state's domestic cricket system before making her mark in franchise cricket. Kalita created history in 2023 when she became the first woman cricketer from Assam to feature in the Women's Premier League.
Mumbai Indians signed her for Rs 10 lakh at the inaugural WPL auction, giving her an opportunity to compete alongside established international players.She went on to play 13 matches for Mumbai Indians across two seasons. In January 2026, Gujarat Giants signed her for Rs 10 lakh as an injury replacement for Titas Sadhu, who was ruled out of the tournament.
However, Kalita did not get an opportunity to play for the Giants during the season.Her progress has also been shaped by appearances for India A. Kalita featured in the white-ball series against Australia A in September 2026 and had previously toured England with the India A side.
Those assignments provided valuable exposure to international opposition and helped strengthen her case for a senior India call-up.Having now made her international debut, Kalita will hope to make the most of the opportunity in the Zimbabwe ODI series and establish herself as a contender for future assignments.- Ends