India vs Zimbabwe
Third Women’s T20
Match starts: 7pm IST
Raipur, Oct 19: With its batting unit back in rhythm, the Indian women’s cricket team will aim to extend its winning streak and complete a 3-0 sweep against Zimbabwe in the final T20I here on Tuesday.
Smriti Mandhana’s era as full-time captain began with some jittery moments in the first T20I when Zimbabwe, touring India for the first time, reduced the hosts to 19/4 while defending a modest 114 on a slow surface.
Coming off an Asia Cup triumph and a gold-winning campaign at the Asian Games, India finally overcame the nerves with Deepti Sharma and rising all-rounder Niki Prasad’s measured performances.
On her senior international debut, the 20-year-old Niki remained unbeaten on 39 against Zimbabwe, helping India recover from their early batting collapse and hit the winning runs.
She followed it up with a match-winning spell of 2/7 in the second T20I, taking a wicket with each of her first two deliveries at the international level.
Mandhana led from the front with an unbeaten 47 off 25 balls, while Shafali Verma struck a blistering 55 off just 25 deliveries as India cruised to a nine-wicket victory in the second T20I on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Mandhana’s return to form was a major positive for India as the skipper looks to build momentum ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.
She has been in terrific form over the last three years with two centuries and 15 half-centuries in T20Is, while her strike rate in 2026 has climbed above 150.
Shafali, on the other hand, has scored 922 runs at a strike rate of 165.52 to be the leading run-getter of 2026. The opening pair will once again be expected to provide a strong start and put Zimbabwe’s bowling attack under pressure.
One area India will be keen to assess is the crucial No. 3 position, where Anushka Sharma has been given an opportunity in the absence of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues.
The 23-year-old managed just four runs in the first match and did not get much of an opportunity in the second. The final T20I could offer her another chance to make an impression and strengthen her case.
The biggest positive for India, however, has been the emergence of Niki, the 2025 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup-winning skipper.
The all-rounder has made an impressive transition to the senior side, showing composure with the bat and promise with her off-spin.
Niki has said the team environment has helped her settle in quickly.
“This is my first time with the Indian team and overall the environment in the dressing room is very good. I think Smriti didi is carrying forward the same environment (as her predecessor Harmanpreet Kaur),” she said.
She also asserted that the team has put the batting troubles of the opening match behind it.
“Whatever happened in the last match… it is done and dusted. All the batters applied themselves well (in the second T20I on Sunday) and Smriti and Shafali played to their strengths,” she said.
Zimbabwe entered the series on the back of a historic first ODI win over the West Indies in September, but they are still in search of their first T20I win in 2026, having lost all their 20 matches this year.
They will hope opener Kelis Ndhlovu gives them a strong start after getting out for a duck in the last match.
In bowling, they would bank on off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura to provide some spark, having rattled the Indian top order with her triple-wicket burst in the first match. (PTI)