IND-W vs ZIM-W 2nd T20I: Shafali Verma and captain Smriti Mandhana delivered explosive batting performances as India Women defeated Zimbabwe Women by nine wickets in the second T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Sunday (Oct 18). Chasing a target of 103, India reached 103/1 in just 8.5 overs, with Shafali smashing a 25-ball 55 and Mandhana remaining unbeaten on 47 off 25 deliveries.
The victory gave India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, marking a successful start to Mandhana’s full-time captaincy era. Earlier, Niki Prasad’s impressive spell helped India restrict Zimbabwe to 102/8 in 20 overs. Here is how the Women in Blue secured a dominant series-winning victory against Zimbabwe.
IND-W vs ZIM-W 2nd T20I: Zimbabwe Women Post 102/8 After India’s Bowling Show
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Zimbabwe struggled to establish momentum against India’s disciplined bowling attack. The visitors slipped to 30/3 in 8.1 overs before Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and captain Josephine Nkomo attempted to stabilise the innings with a 45-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Mugeri-Tiripano top-scored with 34 off 32 deliveries, including five boundaries, while Nkomo remained unbeaten on 27 from 35 balls. However, Zimbabwe could not accelerate sufficiently and finished with 102/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Niki Prasad was India’s standout bowler, claiming 2/7 in two overs after taking two wickets off consecutive deliveries. Kranti Gaud returned figures of 1/15 in four overs, while Deepti Sharma picked up 1/13 in three. Nandni Sharma and Sree Charani also chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Shafali Verma Smashes 25-Ball Fifty as India Dominate the Chase
India’s opening pair of Mandhana and Shafali made the target look modest with an aggressive start. The duo raced to their 50-run partnership in just 4.3 overs, putting Zimbabwe’s bowlers under immense pressure during the powerplay.
Mandhana attacked Nyasha Gwanzura by striking five boundaries in the fifth over, while Shafali continued the onslaught against Michelle Mavunga in the following over, collecting two fours and a six. Shafali brought up her half-century in just 24 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes.
The 22-year-old was eventually dismissed by Beloved Biza for a blistering 55 off 25 deliveries. However, the opening stand had already put India firmly in control of the contest.
Smriti Mandhana Finishes in Style as India Win by Nine Wickets
Mandhana ensured there were no further setbacks, remaining unbeaten on 47 from 25 balls, with six fours and two sixes. She finished the match in emphatic fashion by hitting a six, taking India to 103/1 in only 8.5 overs. Anushka Sharma was unbeaten on one at the other end.
The comprehensive victory secured the three-match T20I series for India with one game still to play. It also provided Mandhana with an encouraging result at the beginning of her tenure as the team’s full-time captain.
Aditya Pimpale is a sports journalist currently working with News X, with previous experience at WION, India TV and India Today. With a keen interest in cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis and other major sporting disciplines, he brings a versatile perspective to sports journalism. Aditya has extensive on-ground reporting experience, having covered multiple IPL seasons, including the 2025 and 2026 finals from the stadium. He also covered the 2026 T20 World Cup from the ground, including the final in Ahmedabad. His work focuses on breaking news, match reports, analysis, interviews, features, sports trends and engaging digital storytelling.
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