India Women defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening T20 International in Raipur on October 16, overcoming a dramatic batting collapse to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad delivered crucial performances to secure victory after Zimbabwe threatened to produce a major upset.
Zimbabwe Post 114 After Competitive Batting Display
After winning the toss, India captain Smriti Mandhana elected to bowl first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
Zimbabwe finished their 20 overs at 114/5, with Kelis Ndhlovu scoring 42 and Sharne Mayers contributing an unbeaten 43. India’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout the innings, with Nandani Sharma claiming two wickets.
The total appeared manageable for the hosts, but Zimbabwe’s bowlers had other plans.
India Collapse to 19/4 in Dramatic Chase
Chasing 115, India suffered a disastrous start, losing four wickets for just 19 runs inside the powerplay. Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur departed early, putting the home side under unexpected pressure.
Zimbabwe’s Nyasha Gwanzura was particularly effective, exploiting India’s batting vulnerabilities and giving the visitors genuine hope of victory.
With the top order back in the pavilion, India needed a substantial partnership to avoid an embarrassing defeat.
Deepti and Niki Turn the Match Around
Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad rose to the occasion, rebuilding the innings with an important 82-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Deepti scored 49 off 37 deliveries, narrowly missing her half-century, while Niki remained unbeaten on 39 off 35 balls. Their composed batting shifted the momentum back towards India.
India eventually reached 116/6 in 15.4 overs, winning by four wickets.
Mandhana Begins Leadership Journey With Victory
The result marked a winning start to Mandhana’s tenure as India’s full-time T20I captain. However, the early collapse highlighted areas requiring improvement.
India will face Zimbabwe in the second T20I on October 18 in Raipur, aiming to strengthen their series lead.