India Women beat Zimbabwe Women by four wickets in the first T20I in Raipur on October 16, recovering from an early batting collapse to chase down 115 with 26 balls to spare. It was Smriti Mandhana's first match in charge as India's full-time T20I captain, after taking over the role from Harmanpreet Kaur, and it ended in a winning start for her tenure.
Zimbabwe Women posted 114 for 5 in their 20 overs, built around an unbeaten 43 from Sharne Mayers. Nyasha Gwanzura took 3 for 18 and Nandani Sharma picked up 2 for 11 for India. In reply, India slipped to 22 for 4 inside the powerplay before Deepti Sharma's 49 off 37 balls and an unbeaten 39 off 35 from debutant Niki Prasad rebuilt the chase, taking India home at 116 for 6 in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma was named Player of the Match.
Niki Prasad's unbeaten 39 on debut, arriving in the middle of a top-order collapse, was as significant as the scoreline suggests — a first international innings that directly rescued the chase rather than one played out in a comfortable context. It is the kind of start selectors will be watching closely as India looks to deepen its middle-order options.
India now lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second T20I following in Raipur on October 18. Beyond the scoreline, a win — even an unconvincing one shaped by a top-order wobble — is the result Mandhana would have wanted from her first game as permanent captain, with vice-captain Shafali Verma also settling into her new leadership role alongside her.
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Scorecard details in this article are verified against same-day and freshly re-checked reporting as of October 17, 2026.
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