- Bowlers, Shafali, Mandhana power India to series win India eased to victory after limiting Zimbabwe to 102 for 8 The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 If Zimbabwe had been in second gear through their first innings, India began in fifth and never decelerated, thanks to her 96-run opening stand with Shafali Verma .
- The right-handed Shafali was even quicker than Mandhana, bashing her way to 55 off 24 before she holed out to long-on in the eighth over.
- By then, India needed just seven runs to seal the chase, which Mandhana duly did with a pristine six over extra cover, securing her first series win as full-time ctain.
Bowlers, Shafali, Mandhana power India to series win India eased to victory after limiting Zimbabwe to 102 for 8 The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins The three who matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all smiles after dismissing Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 If Zimbabwe had been in second gear through their first innings, India began in fifth and never decelerated, thanks to her 96-run opening stand with Shafali Verma .
The right-handed Shafali was even quicker than Mandhana, bashing her way to 55 off 24 before she holed out to long-on in the eighth over. By then, India needed just seven runs to seal the chase, which Mandhana duly did with a pristine six over extra cover, securing her first series win as full-time ctain. In the previous T20I, Zimbabwe had kept themselves at a run-a-ball rate for most of their batting innings, thanks in large part to opener Kelis Ndhlovu’s battling 42.
At the toss, though, Mandhana said she wanted India to “be more disciplined with the ball”. Her bowlers delivered immediately in this game, with Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma sharing the new ball and using the she in the air, and grip off the pitch, to continuously bowl on a good length. Zimbabwe finished on 20 for 1 in the powerplay, struggling to power the ball past the fielders inside the circle.
Ndhlovu had perished to Nandani – for an 11-ball duck – swinging through the line and losing her she. Fellow opener Beloved Biza fell just two deliveries after the powerplay herself, running down the track and only sending Dee Sharma’s delivery as far as extra cover, to Harmanpreet Kaur. Niki Prasad became only the fourth bowler in women’s internationals to two wickets with their first two legitimate balls Niki Prasad took back-to-back wickets with her first two deliveries in international cricket, 2nd T20I, Raipur, October 18, 2026 Zimbabwe’s two innings of note – by Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and Nkomo – were a result of game awareness instead of muscle.
Mugeri-Tiripano especially benefited off reverse-sweeps, employing them back-to-back when Shree Charani introduced in the tenth over to collect two fours. Her innings of 34 off 32 would have come to an end sooner if not for India’s sloppy outfield catching. Shafali dropped a simple chance off Charani’s bowling in the 12th over, then Kranti Gaud spilled her at long-on an over later.
Niki Prasad came on for the 15th over, and immediately struck, first taking out Mugeri-Tiripano, then Nyasha Gwanzura. She became only the fourth bowler in women’s internationals to two wickets with their first two legitimate balls. Nkomo’s own innings – mostly played in the death overs – was slower, with her 27 runs coming off 35 balls.
She was successful in sticking around, however, to ensure Zimbabwe played out their overs and crossed the three-figure mark, finishing on 102 of 8. Mandhana used seven bowling oons, out of whom five took at least one wicket, vindicating her desire for better line-and-length at the toss. If India’s bowling had been a team effort, India’s top order finished the chase.
They were already 76 for 0 by the end of the powerplay, using both their power – a marked contrast to Zimbabwe’s batters – as well as finesse to pounce on Zimbabwe’s awry lines. Mandhana, in particular, made use of her feet to throw the bowlers off their lengths, with deliveries too wide outside off or too full at the opening pair’s pads throughout. They made 84 of their 96 runs while at the crease in boundaries.
The highlight of the powerplay was the fifth over, bowled by offspinner Nyasha Gwanzura, who Mandhana hit for four consecutive fours – over cow corner, long-off, deep square leg, and long-off again – in an exhibition of range-hitting. Then, she handed over the strike to Shafali for the final ball of the innings. She proceeded to step down the track and loft her inside-out over deep extra cover.
The pair continued their unfettered attack until Shafali fell to a mis-hit just a ball after reaching her fifty. Ansuhka Sharma’s stroll to the crease as No. 3 was a formality – she made just 1 off 4 before Mandhana finished the game at the other end.
A nothing shot brings about India’s first wicket! Ndhlovu was feeling the pinch after a slow start, still on a duck, she swings through the line and loses her she completely. Ball grips and stays slow, angles in under her bat and into her stumps.
Great bowling and Ndhlovu’s great knock in the first T20I won’t be replicated Runs down the track but it’s Bye-bye for Biza! She was looking to manufacture a lofted drive here, ball was there, but no power. Ball boshed right to Harmanpreet Kaur at extra cover, hit the bottom of her bat really Niki Prasad has struck with her first ball in international cricket!
This is lobbed up on a length wide of off, Mugeri-Tiripano looks to cut and gets a thick outside edge that Ghosh gobbles up. No respite for Mugeri-Tiripano this time, as Prasad’s debut series continues to get better They keep falling trying to force the pace of this game! Was a slot ball just outside off, deserved to be hit, but the batter just cannot elevate this slog.
Was hit with some intent, but the ball rockets straight to extra cover… Two wickets in two balls for Niki Prasad! Or well, so the umpire thinks.
But Zimbabwe have reviewed this. On a length outside off and it spins in and goes under the bat as Gwanzura swipes across the line to r her on the pads. Hits her on the back pad in front of middle, and ball-tracking shows the ball to be crashing into leg stump!
Niki Prasad is on a hat-trick! Gets across to this length ball outside off and scoops it fine but towards the short fine leg fielder. But there’s a run-out chance and looks like Ghosh has caught the batter short of the crease!
They tried to sneak in a run but it was always going to be tight and Nkomo sends her back. The throw came into Ghosh, who collected it and knocked the stumps out with the back of her gloves and that’ll be that for Modester Mupachikwa Niki Prasad can do no wrong! Shree Charani gets among the wickets with a length ball that Mavunga tries to tamely swat away.
Miscues her swipe across the line and the ball goes up towards deep midwicket. Prasad runs in from the ropes and dives in front and makes no mistake Wide yorker, squeezed to point, and they get the single with the throw wide at the striker’s end. But as they aim to run a second off the overthrow, Chipare is caught well short of the crease as the throw goes to Gaud, who calmly throws down the stumps underarm They keep falling trying to force the pace of this game!
Was a slot ball just outside off, deserved to be hit, but the batter just cannot elevate this slog. Was hit with some intent, but the ball rockets straight to extra cover… A nothing shot brings about India’s first wicket!
Ndhlovu was feeling the pinch after a slow start, still on a duck, she swings through the line and loses her she completely. Ball grips and stays slow, angles in under her bat and into her stumps. Great bowling and Ndhlovu’s great knock in the first T20I won’t be replicated Runs down the track but it’s Bye-bye for Biza!
She was looking to manufacture a lofted drive here, ball was there, but no power. Ball boshed right to Harmanpreet Kaur at extra cover, hit the bottom of her bat really Niki Prasad can do no wrong! Shree Charani gets among the wickets with a length ball that Mavunga tries to tamely swat away.
Miscues her swipe across the line and the ball goes up towards deep midwicket. Prasad runs in from the ropes and dives in front and makes no mistake Niki Prasad has struck with her first ball in international cricket! This is lobbed up on a length wide of off, Mugeri-Tiripano looks to cut and gets a thick outside edge that Ghosh gobbles up.
No respite for Mugeri-Tiripano this time, as Prasad’s debut series continues to get better Two wickets in two balls for Niki Prasad! Or well, so the umpire thinks. But Zimbabwe have reviewed this.
On a length outside off and it spins in and goes under the bat as Gwanzura swipes across the line to r her on the pads. Hits her on the back pad in front of middle, and ball-tracking shows the ball to be crashing into leg stump! Niki Prasad is on a hat-trick!
A nothing shot brings about India’s first wicket! Ndhlovu was feeling the pinch after a slow start, still on a duck, she swings through the line and loses her she completely. Ball grips and stays slow, angles in under her bat and into her stumps.
Great bowling and Ndhlovu’s great knock in the first T20I won’t be replicated Runs down the track but it’s Bye-bye for Biza! She was looking to manufacture a lofted drive here, ball was there, but no power. Ball boshed right to Harmanpreet Kaur at extra cover, hit the bottom of her bat really They keep falling trying to force the pace of this game!
Was a slot ball just outside off, deserved to be hit, but the batter just cannot elevate this slog. Was hit with some intent, but the ball rockets straight to extra cover… Niki Prasad has struck with her first ball in international cricket!
This is lobbed up on a length wide of off, Mugeri-Tiripano looks to cut and gets a thick outside edge that Ghosh gobbles up. No respite for Mugeri-Tiripano this time, as Prasad’s debut series continues to get better Two wickets in two balls for Niki Prasad! Or well, so the umpire thinks.
But Zimbabwe have reviewed this. On a length outside off and it spins in and goes under the bat as Gwanzura swipes across the line to r her on the pads. Hits her on the back pad in front of middle, and ball-tracking shows the ball to be crashing into leg stump!
Niki Prasad is on a hat-trick! Gets across to this length ball outside off and scoops it fine but towards the short fine leg fielder. But there’s a run-out chance and looks like Ghosh has caught the batter short of the crease!
They tried to sneak in a run but it was always going to be tight and Nkomo sends her back. The throw came into Ghosh, who collected it and knocked the stumps out with the back of her gloves and that’ll be that for Modester Mupachikwa Niki Prasad can do no wrong! Shree Charani gets among the wickets with a length ball that Mavunga tries to tamely swat away.
Miscues her swipe across the line and the ball goes up towards deep midwicket. Prasad runs in from the ropes and dives in front and makes no mistake Wide yorker, squeezed to point, and they get the single with the throw wide at the striker’s end. But as they aim to run a second off the overthrow, Chipare is caught well short of the crease as the throw goes to Gaud, who calmly throws down the stumps underarm Six-and-out for Shafali Verma.
Skips down the track to this full ball and looks to go down the ground but miscues it. Long-on runs to her right and grabs it above head height, just about hanging on. Another Shafali blitz comes to an end Six-and-out for Shafali Verma.
Skips down the track to this full ball and looks to go down the ground but miscues it. Long-on runs to her right and grabs it above head height, just about hanging on. Another Shafali blitz comes to an end Six-and-out for Shafali Verma.
Skips down the track to this full ball and looks to go down the ground but miscues it. Long-on runs to her right and grabs it above head height, just about hanging on. Another Shafali blitz comes to an end Shafali threw the ball into the ground in frustration after dropping a catch which led to an official reprimand Dee Sharma and Niki Prasad forged a successful partnership, India vs Zimbabwe, 1st Women’s T20I, Raipur, October 16, 2026 IND-W vs ZIM-W 2026/27, IND-W vs ZIM-W 2nd T20I Match Report, October 18, 2026 – Bowlers, Shafali, Mandhana power India to series win IND-W vs ZIM-W 2026/27, IND Women vs ZIM Women Match Report: India eased to victory after limiting Zimbabwe to 102 for 8
