IND-W vs ZIM-W, 1st T20I: Deepti Sharma, Niki Prasad shine as India beat Zimbabwe by four wickets

India women started their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe with a four-wicket win in the opening match at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Friday (Oct 16). It was a challenging first match for Smriti Mandhana as India’s full-time captain, with the hosts recovering from an early batting collapse to chase down the target.

Chasing 115, India lost four wickets inside the powerplay and found themselves in trouble, however, Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad put together a crucial 82-run partnership for the fifth wicket to bring the team back into the contest.

Earlier, India captain Mandhana won the toss and elected to bowl. Zimbabwe women finished at 114/5 in their 20 overs, thanks to strong performances from openers Kelis Ndhlovu and Sharne Mayers. Ndhlovu scored 42 runs, while Mayers remained unbeaten on 43.

India’s bowlers did well to restrict Zimbabwe to a modest total. Nandani Sharma picked up two wickets, while Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy and Shree Charani took one wicket each.

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India’s chase began poorly as Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur were dismissed early. With the team under pressure, Deepti and Prasad stepped up and built a match-winning partnership.

Deepti scored 49 runs, narrowly missing out on a half-century, while Prasad remained unbeaten on 39. Their efforts helped India reach 116/6 in just 15.4 overs, securing a four-wicket victory and a 1-0 lead in the series.

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The win gives India a positive start under Mandhana’s leadership as they look to continue their momentum in the remaining matches. The second T20I will take place in Raipur on Oct 18, with the third and final match scheduled for Oct 20.

Following the T20I series, India and Zimbabwe will play a three-match ODI series in Vadodara, starting on Oct 23.