India Women defeated Zimbabwe Women by four wickets in the first T20I of their three-match series at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur today. Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad played a big role in helping India recover from a difficult start and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Zimbabwe Women Scored 114/5 in 20 Overs
India captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bowl first. Zimbabwe finished their innings at 114/5 in 20 overs, setting India a target of 115 runs.
Kelis Ndhlovu top-scored for Zimbabwe with 42 runs off 44 balls. She hit seven boundaries and helped the visitors build their innings after an early setback.
Sharne Mayers provided a late boost with an unbeaten 43 off 33 deliveries. Her innings included four boundaries and two sixes, helping Zimbabwe cross the 110-run mark.
Modester Mupachikwa contributed 16 runs from 26 balls, while the other batters struggled to build substantial partnerships.
For India, Nandani Sharma was among the leading performers with the ball. She finished with figures of 2/11 in four overs, including two wickets in the final over. Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud and Sree Charani took one wicket each.
At one stage, India Women were 19/4
India lost early wickets during their run chase. The team lost four wickets for just 19 runs, giving Zimbabwe a strong opportunity to defend their total.
Nyasha Gwanzura caused massive damage with the ball, finishing with figures of 3/18 in three overs. Her spell put India’s batting lineup under pressure and made the contest more competitive.
However, experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma stepped up when India needed stability. She played a composed innings of 49 runs off 37 balls, striking six boundaries and helping India rebuild their chase.
Deepti found a great partner in debutant Niki Prasad. The young batter remained unbeaten on 39 off 33 balls, handling the pressure with confidence during her first international appearance.
The pair added 82 runs for the fifth wicket, turning the match in India's favour. Their partnership helped the hosts recover from 19/4 and move closer to the target.
Smriti Mandhana Starts Captaincy with a Win
India eventually reached 116/6 in 15.4 overs, winning the match by four wickets with 26 balls remaining. Deepti Sharma just missed a half-century, but played an important innings.
The match also marked Smriti Mandhana's first game as India's full-time T20I captain. Her team secured victory despite the early batting collapse, giving her leadership tenure a winning start.
The series opener was also an important opportunity for India to assess their players and combinations in the shortest format.
India will now look to build on this victory in the second T20I, scheduled for October 18 in Raipur. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will aim to improve their batting and maintain pressure for longer periods with the ball.
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