India Women Beat Zimbabwe to Take the Lead in T20I Series

India’s women’s team began the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe with a four-wicket victory in the opening match. Chasing a target of 115, India reached 116 for six in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma top-scored with 49 off 37 balls, while Nikki Prasad remained unbeaten on 39 off 35 deliveries to guide the team to victory. Smriti Mandhana scored nine, Shafali Verma four, Anushka Sharma four, Harmanpreet Kaur one and Richa Ghosh seven. For Zimbabwe, Nyasha claimed three wickets, while Michelle Mavunga, Olinder and Biza took one wicket each. The win gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Earlier, Zimbabwe scored 114 for five in their allotted 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Sharne Mayers remained unbeaten on 43, while Kallis contributed 42 and Mupachikwa added 16. Nandani Sharma led India’s bowling effort with two wickets, while Kranti Goud, Arundhati Reddy and Sree Charani took one wicket apiece. Nandani dismissed Nyasha and Michelle Mavunga on consecutive deliveries in the final over. The match was also a milestone for Smriti Mandhana, as it marked her first game as India’s full-time captain.