Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 19: India defeated Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the second women’s T20I in Raipur on Sunday, October 18. This gave captain Smriti Mandhana her first series victory in charge. The hosts took a 2-0 lead after chasing down the target of 103 with 47 balls to spare.
Mandhana sealed the victory in style, hitting Olinder Chare for a six. She remained unbeaten on 47 off 25 balls, while opener Shafali Verma led the chase with an explosive 55 off just 25 deliveries.
India dominated the powerplay, racing to 76 runs in the first six overs. Shafali was dismissed when India needed only seven more runs, leaving Mandhana to complete the chase. The pair’s performance also extended their record-breaking run of partnerships, with their ninth fifty-plus stand in women’s T20Is in a calendar year.
Shafali began aggressively, striking boundaries and sixes against Nyasha Gwanzura in the opening over. Mandhana joined, with consecutive boundaries in the fourth over as India overwhelmed Zimbabwe’s bowling attack.
Speaking after the match, Mandhana said she was happy to give Shafali the strike when the opener was batting well. She added that the team intended to continue playing an attacking brand of cricket.
Earlier, India’s bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 102 for eight in 20 overs. The spinners kept the visitors under pressure, with Niki Prasad among those who helped limit the scoring.
Shafali was named Player of the Match. She said improving consistency had been a key focus after reviewing her game in 2025 and studying Australian batters.
The result marked a strong start to Mandhana’s captaincy, with India bouncing back from a more challenging opening match to secure the series with one game remaining.
