Shree Charani (also spelled Sree Charani) is a 22-year-old slow left-arm orthodox spinner from Kamalapuram in Andhra Pradesh's YSR Kadapa district. She is the No. 1 bowler in the ICC women's T20I rankings, and her 817 rating is the highest any bowler has reached in women's T20Is. On 23 October 2026 she took 4/23, her best ODI figures, as India beat Zimbabwe by 9 wickets in the 1st ODI in Vadodara. That spell is why searches for her and for "ZIMW vs INDW" jumped.
This profile covers who she is, how she got here, what she has done in the Zimbabwe series and what comes next.
Shree Charani at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Nallapureddy Shree Charani |
| Born | 4 August 2004, Kamalapuram, YSR Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh |
| Age | 22 |
| Role | Slow left-arm orthodox bowler, left-handed batter |
| Domestic team | Andhra (since 2022) |
| WPL team | Delhi Capitals (₹55 lakh in December 2024; bought back for ₹1.3 crore in November 2025) |
| ODI debut | 27 April 2025 vs Sri Lanka |
| T20I debut | 28 June 2025 vs England (4 wickets) |
| Test debut | 2026 vs England at Lord's |
| Best ODI figures | 4/23 vs Zimbabwe, Vadodara, 23 October 2026 |
| ICC T20I bowling rank | No. 1 (record 817 rating points) |
1st ODI, ZIMW vs INDW: Charani's career-best 4/23
Zimbabwe won the toss and batted at the BCA (Kotambi) Stadium in Vadodara on 23 October 2026. They were bowled out for 197. Biza top-scored with 62 and Mavunga made 29. Reports differ on whether the innings ended in 49.5 overs or 50.
Charani bowled her full 10 overs, three of them maidens, for 4/23. Her previous ODI best was 3/41. She broke the second-wicket partnership and dismissed Mupachikwa, Gwanzura (caught off her own bowling) and Mavunga, according to the Cricinfo match report. Kranti Gaud took 3/42.
India reached 200/1 in 27.1 overs. Pratika Rawal made 100* off 96 balls, her third ODI hundred, and Shafali Verma hit 64* off 33. India won by 9 wickets and lead the series 1-0 (India TV). We could not confirm the Player of the Match award.
This was India's first ODI in nearly eight months. Charani's previous ODI was against Australia in February 2026.
India's XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Jintimani Kalita.
ODI schedule and where to watch
- 1st ODI: Friday, 23 October 2026, Vadodara. India won by 9 wickets.
- 2nd ODI: Sunday, 25 October 2026, Vadodara, 2:00 PM IST (BCCI match centre)
- 3rd ODI: Wednesday, 28 October 2026, Vadodara, 2:00 PM IST
These ODIs open India's new ICC Women's Championship cycle, so the results count towards World Cup qualification. Reports disagree on the broadcaster. Some list Star Sports and JioHotstar, and others list FanCode, so check both apps before the start. Squad lists also differ on who is captaining Zimbabwe.
Background: from Kadapa to the India team
Charani grew up in Kamalapuram, a small town in Kadapa district. She played badminton and kho-kho before she took up cricket. Her father is Chandrasekhar Reddy. Her uncle, Kishore Kumar Reddy, is widely credited with backing her early training, at a time when cricket was not an obvious path for a girl from the region.
She is the first woman from Kadapa to play for India. She began playing for Andhra in 2022, and her control as a left-arm spinner soon got her noticed outside the state circuit.
How she bowls
Charani is a classic slow left-arm orthodox bowler. She doesn't rely on big turn. She takes wickets with accuracy, changes of pace and a stump-to-stump line that leaves batters little room. Her T20I economy rate of 6.32 is unusually low for a bowler who takes wickets this often, and that combination pushed her up the rankings quickly. She has taken at least one wicket in each of her last 15 T20Is.
Shree Charani's WPL team and price
Delhi Capitals first bought Charani for ₹55 lakh at the December 2024 WPL auction, months before her international debut. At the November 2025 auction, DC bought her back for ₹1.3 crore after a bidding contest with UP Warriorz (IANS). One report gives her base price as ₹30 lakh. If you're following the next round of franchise moves, our guide to the WPL auction list 2027, base prices and team purses explains how retentions and purses work.
Shree Charani's ICC ranking: a world record rating
Her climb up the ICC women's T20I bowling table has been the biggest story of her career so far:
- 23 June 2026: She went to No. 1 for the first time, overtaking England's Linsey Smith.
- After the 2026 Asia Cup: She reached 804 points. That made her only the third bowler to pass 800, after Megan Schutt and Sophie Ecclestone, and the first Indian.
- 29 September 2026: She reached 817 points, the highest rating in the history of the women's T20I bowling rankings. This came after her 2/13 in the Asian Games final and beat Megan Schutt's 806 from November 2018 (ICC).
- 20 October 2026: She was still No. 1, with teammate Deepti Sharma at No. 2.
Her ODI ranking should move after the 4/23. The ICC usually publishes its weekly update on Tuesdays, so the next one is expected around 27 October 2026.
Shree Charani stats: career numbers
The T20I figures are Wisden's as of 29 September 2026, before the Zimbabwe series. Wikipedia's T20I numbers are older, so we've used Wisden's. The ODI line is our count: we added the 1st ODI to her pre-series record of 21 matches and 27 wickets. Her official BCCI and Cricinfo profiles had not confirmed it when we checked.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| T20I | 33 | 62 | Average 12.56, economy 6.32 (Wisden, 29 Sep 2026) |
| ODI | 22 | 31 | Best 4/23 vs Zimbabwe (our count, after 23 Oct 2026) |
| Test | 1 | — | Debut at Lord's vs England, 2026 |
Wisden notes that 62 is the most T20I wickets taken by any bowler from a Full Member nation since her debut in June 2025, which is only about 16 months ago.
Trophies she has already won
- 2025 Women's ODI World Cup: part of India's title-winning squad. She took 14 wickets in 9 matches, the fourth-most in the tournament.
- 2026 Women's T20 Asia Cup (UAE): 12 wickets, including 4/20 in the final against Sri Lanka. India won by 72 runs for their eighth Asia Cup title.
- 2026 Asian Games gold (Aichi–Nagoya): 4/10 against Japan in the semi-final and 2/13 in the gold-medal match, which India won by 147 runs over Sri Lanka.
Shree Charani in the Zimbabwe T20Is
The three T20Is, played in Raipur from 17 to 20 October 2026, were the first bilateral women's T20I series between India and Zimbabwe. They were also Smriti Mandhana's first series as full-time captain. Harmanpreet Kaur gave up the captaincy but stayed in the squad, Shafali Verma is vice-captain, and Jemimah Rodrigues is out with a hamstring injury. India won the series 3-0.
| Match | Result | Charani's figures |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I, Raipur | India won by 4 wickets | 4-0-14-1 |
| 2nd T20I, Raipur | India won by 9 wickets | 4-0-21-1 |
| 3rd T20I, Raipur (20 Oct) | India won by 92 runs | XI not confirmed |
| 1st ODI, Vadodara (23 Oct) | India won by 9 wickets | 10-3-23-4 |
1st T20I: a tight spell in a nervy chase
She bowled her four overs for just 14 runs. Her wicket was a caught-and-bowled to remove Mupachikwa. India's top order then collapsed, and Deepti Sharma steadied the chase to win by four wickets.
2nd T20I: Zimbabwe held to 102/8
Charani took 1/21 as India's bowlers kept Zimbabwe to 102 for 8. The batters chased the target down for the loss of one wicket. Shafali Verma made a quick half-century in this series; see our story on Shafali Verma's 55 and the record it set.
3rd T20I: India sweep 3-0
Harmanpreet Kaur scored 91* as India won by 92 runs on 20 October 2026, and Nandani Sharma took 3/18 (Tribune). We could not find a confirmed India XI for this match.
Why is Shree Charani not playing?
We found no report that Charani has been dropped, rested or injured. She played in both confirmed T20I XIs of this series and took four wickets in the 1st ODI on 23 October 2026. Most "not playing" searches probably come from the 3rd T20I, whose XI we could not confirm, or from people checking the ODI lineup. To see whether she plays the 2nd ODI on 25 October, check the team sheet on the BCCI match centre after the toss.
भारत राष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट संघ में श्री चरणी: हिंदी में संक्षेप
श्री चरणी (Nallapureddy Shree Charani) आंध्र प्रदेश के कडप्पा ज़िले के कमलापुरम की 22 वर्षीय बाएं हाथ की स्पिन गेंदबाज़ हैं। वे भारत राष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट संघ (महिला) के लिए खेलने वाली कडप्पा की पहली महिला खिलाड़ी हैं।
- पहला वनडे (23 अक्टूबर 2026): 10 ओवर में 4/23, उनका सर्वश्रेष्ठ वनडे प्रदर्शन। भारत ने ज़िम्बाब्वे को 9 विकेट से हराया और सीरीज़ में 1-0 की बढ़त ली।
- ICC रैंकिंग: महिला T20I गेंदबाज़ी में नंबर 1, रिकॉर्ड 817 रेटिंग अंक
- WPL टीम: दिल्ली कैपिटल्स, नवंबर 2025 की नीलामी में ₹1.3 करोड़
- T20I रिकॉर्ड: 33 मैच, 62 विकेट, इकॉनमी 6.32 (29 सितंबर तक)
- अगले मैच: दूसरा वनडे 25 अक्टूबर और तीसरा 28 अक्टूबर 2026 को वडोदरा में, दोपहर 2 बजे (IST)
Why Shree Charani matters for India
India has a long line of strong spinners, and Charani is quickly becoming the main one. She and Deepti Sharma are first and second in the world T20I rankings, which gives India two top-class spin options in every white-ball match. Her 4/23 in Vadodara shows she can take that form into the 50-over game. Selectors also have quick bowlers such as Kranti Gaud coming through. With Mandhana as the new captain and a recently reshaped selection panel (see our explainer on the new selection committee), Charani is likely to be central to India's plans for the next World Cup cycle.
For more on the cricket, exam and news stories people are searching for right now, visit the KyunTrend homepage.
Sources
- BCCI: India Women vs Zimbabwe Women, 2nd ODI
- ICC: Sree Charani hits record heights in T20I women's rankings
- ICC media release: new landmark in the T20I bowling rankings
- Cricinfo: 1st ODI match report
- India TV: Rawal century, Charani four-for
- NewsBytes: Charani's career-best 4/23
- IANS: DC buy back Charani at the WPL 2026 auction
- Wikipedia: Shree Charani
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