Brief Scores: India (116/6 in 15.4 ovs) beat Zimbabwe (114/5) by 4 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.
The Smriti Mandhana era began with a scare as debutant Niki Prasad and Deepti Sharma rescued India from a dramatic top-order collapse to seal a four-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the first T20I in Raipur on Friday. Chasing 115, India recovered from 22 for 4 to reach the target with 4.2 overs to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Zimbabwe, who had lost all 18 of their T20Is this year, came close to pulling off an upset after their bowlers ripped through India’s top order. Mandhana began her first match as India’s full-time T20I captain with a couple of boundaries, but her dismissal set off a collapse that left the hosts in trouble.
India vs Zimbabwe, 1st Women’s T20I: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Nyasha Gwanzura did most of the damage, dismissing Mandhana, Anushka Sharma and Shafali Verma with her off-spin. Michelle Mavunga removed Harmanpreet Kaur, leaving India four wickets down inside the powerplay. All four batters fell within the first 19 deliveries, giving Zimbabwe a genuine chance of a memorable victory.
Deepti and Niki, however, kept India in the contest. Deepti counterattacked with eight boundaries in her 49 off 37 balls, while Niki showed remarkable composure on debut. Their 82-run stand off 63 deliveries for the fifth wicket changed the course of the chase.
Deepti fell just one run short of her half-century, but Niki stayed unbeaten on 39 off 35 balls and struck the winning boundary in the 16th over. Gwanzura finished with figures of 3 for 18, but Zimbabwe could not find a way past the pair.
NIKI SHINES ON DEBUT
Niki said she was prepared for the situation and knew her job was to take India across the finish line when she walked out to bat. “I think I was prepared well. I knew when I had to walk in, I had to just get the game through and that is what I did,” she said.
The debutant explained that she and Deepti focused on building a partnership before deciding when to take risks against Zimbabwe’s bowlers. “We were talking about building a partnership. Once we got that partnership, we started to decide which bowler to attack and where to take the risk.
“Just stay calm and play to the merit of the ball.” Niki also spoke about the conditions in Raipur, with dew helping the ball travel faster even as the pitch began to slow down and offer less bounce.
“Definitely, there was a lot of dew because of which, the ball travelling fast. Also, the wicket started slowing down and it started staying low. But we adapted well. Me and Deepti di adapted well to the conditions.
“I think I am really happy that I was able to get the game through and build that partnership with Deepti di. It is just the start. I want to keep playing the same way and win many more games for India.”
She credited Deepti’s aggressive approach for giving her the confidence to play her own shots. “She played brilliantly. The way she attacked the bowlers. She was not letting the bowlers get onto her. Looking at that, even I had a lot of confidence to play my shots.”
Niki’s unbeaten 39 is the third-highest individual score by an Indian woman on T20I debut. Rumeli Dhar tops the list with an unbeaten 66 against England in Derby in 2006, while Amanjot Kaur scored 41 not out against South Africa in KuGumpo City in 2023. Mandhana made 39 against Bangladesh in Vadodara in 2013, while Jemimah Rodrigues scored 37 against South Africa in Potchefstroom in 2018.
The partnership was also a record for India in women’s T20Is. Niki and Deepti’s 82-run stand is India’s highest for the fifth wicket or lower, surpassing the previous best of 77 between Mithali Raj and Anuja Patil against Sri Lanka in Ranchi in 2016. The first two partnerships on that list came in successful chases.
Among full-member teams, their stand is the second-highest fifth-wicket partnership in a women’s T20I after losing four wickets for fewer than 20 runs. New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and Maddy Green hold the record with 159 against England in Canterbury in 2026. The other stands on the list are Deandra Dottin and Stacy-Ann King’s 72 for the West Indies against South Africa in Durban in 2016, Amy Jones and Heather Knight’s 67 for England against Pakistan in Edgbaston in 2024, and Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 64 against Australia in North Sydney in 2017.
MAYERS LIFTS ZIMBABWE
Earlier, Zimbabwe made a promising start after being asked to bat first, reaching 60 for 1 at the halfway stage. Kelis Ndhlovu anchored the innings with a composed 42 off 44 balls before India tightened their grip through the middle overs.
The hosts slowed Zimbabwe’s progress before Sharne Mayers gave the innings a late push. Mayers remained unbeaten on 43 off 33 balls, taking Zimbabwe to 114 for 5.
World No. 1 N Shree Charani returned figures of 1 for 14, while Nandani Sharma picked up two wickets in the final over to finish with 2 for 11.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers then gave their side a chance to defend the total. Gwanzura’s three-wicket burst and Mavunga’s dismissal of Harmanpreet left India struggling at 22 for 4, but Deepti and Niki denied the visitors a breakthrough that could have changed the result.
Zimbabwe will rue their missed opportunity. After putting India’s top order under pressure, another 20 or 25 runs might have made the chase considerably harder. Instead, Niki held her nerve on debut to seal India’s win and give Mandhana a winning start as full-time T20I captain.
– Ends
