As Women in Blue embark on a new chapter under captain Smriti Mandhana, India will host Zimbabwe in a historic white-ball maiden bilateral series starting on October 16. The series begins with a T20I leg, followed by a three-match ODI series. Olinder Chare returned to the Zimbabwean team, while 20-year-old Niki Prasad made his international debut for India.
Zimbabwe batted first and amassed a respectable 114/5 in 20 overs. After that, their bowlers had an instant impact, with Michelle Mavunga and Nyasha Gwanzura hitting frequently and early. India was in serious danger at 19/4 as Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma, and Harmanpreet Kaur all fell within just 19 deliveries.
The scoreboard was kept moving with a 22-run partnership for the third wicket between Sharne Mayers and Kelis Ndhlovu (42 off 44 balls) and another 31-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Nyasha Gwanzura (9 off 11 balls) and Sharne Mayers (43* off 33 balls). In their allotted 20 overs, Zimbabwe scored a respectable 114/5. The best players for India with the ball were Nandni Sharma (4-0-11-2), Shree Charani (4-0-14-1), Kranti Gaud (2-0-16-1), and Deepti Sharma (4-0-22-0).
India’s innings was on the verge of collapsing when Deepti entered. She reacted with a calm hit of 49 off 37 balls, ensuring that the partnership with Prasad continued to grow at a rapid pace while controlling the necessary run rate. The key to India’s comeback was her ability to remain composed under duress.
In this match, Niki Prasad, a young batting all-rounder making her T20I debut, displayed no indications of nervousness. Before the other batters finished the formalities, she anchored the lower half of the chase with Deepti, staying undefeated at 39. By pushing India from the depths of 19/4 to within easy reach of the 115-run objective and eventually past it with considerable ease, the pair’s 82-run partnership off 63 balls effectively settled the match.
