India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 1st T20I: Niki Prasad and Deepti Sharma Makes India Proud

Smriti Mandhana Captaincy Debut: Smriti Mandhana's first match as full-time T20I captain started off very tense, but Niki Prasad and Deepti Sharma saw India through a top-order collapse to beat Zimbabwe by 4 wickets in Raipur. Chasing 115, India recovered from 22 for 4 to reach the target with 4.2 overs to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.

Zimbabwe (still searching for their first T20I win of the year) nearly caused an upset as their bowlers went through India's top order. Mandhana got off to a good start with a few boundaries but once she was out India were in real trouble.

India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 1st T20I | Nyasha Gwanzura Makes Blunder with Off Spin

Nyasha Gwanzura did the bulk of the damage with her off spin, taking the wickets of Mandhana, Anushka Sharma and Shafali Verma. Michelle Mavunga then got Harmanpreet Kaur, so India lost 4 wickets in the powerplay. Zimbabwe took all 4 wickets in 19 balls and had a real chance of a big win. Deepti and Niki then kept India in it. Deepti hit 8 boundaries in her 37-ball innings and Niki was absolutely composed on her debut. They put on 82 for the 5th wicket in 63 balls and turned the game on its head.

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Niki Prasad 39 Not Out

India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 1st T20I: Deepti was just one run short of her half century; Niki remained not out on 39 from 35 balls and hit the winning boundary in the 16th over. Gwanzura took 3 for 18 but Zimbabwe couldn't quite break the partnership. Niki was up for the task and knew what her role was when she came in to bat. "I think I was well prepared. I knew when I walked in I had to get the game through and that is exactly what I did," she said.

India vs Zimbabwe Women Match Report | Prime Focus Was on Building Partnership, Says Debutant Niki

The debutant Niki said they first focused on building a partnership and then once that was done, it was a matter of deciding which bowler to attack and where to take risks. "We were talking about building a partnership. Once we'd built that partnership we'd then be in a position to decide which bowler to attack and where to take risks." She stressed the importance of staying calm and playing each ball on its merits.

The dew in Raipur did see the ball travel faster, the pitch did slow and offer less bounce. The wax on the ball did make it travel faster and the wicket did slow and drop as the game progressed. They adjusted very well to the conditions.

India vs Zimbabwe Women's Cricket | Niki Points Out Deepti’s Aggressive Batting

India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 1st T20I: For Niki this is just the start and she hopes to maintain the same tempo and go on to win more games for India. She points to Deepti's aggressive batting as the reason for her own confidence to play her own shots. "She played absolutely brilliantly. The way she attacked the bowlers. She didn't let the bowlers get the better of her.

Looking at that, I had a lot of confidence to go out and play my own shots." Among Indian women to make their T20I debut, Rumeli Dhar is the leading run scorer with an unbeaten 66 against England in Derby in 2006.

Amanjot Kaur scored 41 off 49 balls against South Africa in KuGumpo City in 2023. Mandhana made 39 against Bangladesh in Vadodara in 2013, and Jemimah Rodrigues made 37 against South Africa in Potchefstroom in 2018.

Niki and Deepti's 82-Run Stand | Match Highlights

India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 1st T20I: Niki and Deepti's 82-run stand is India's highest for the 5th wicket or lower (previously 77 for the 5th wicket or lower between Mithali Raj and Anuja Patil against Sri Lanka in 2016).

Both top partnerships on that list came in successful chases. Sophie Devine and Maddy Green (New Zealand) hold the highest 5th-wicket partnership in a women's T20I, scoring 159 against England in Canterbury in 2026 after losing 4 wickets for less than 20.

Other notable 5th wicket stands include Deandra Dottin and Stacy-Ann King (West Indies), who put on 72 against South Africa in Durban in 2016, Amy Jones and Heather Knight (England), who put on 67 against Pakistan in Edgbaston in 2024 and Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (England), who put on 64 against Australia in North Sydney in 2017.

Zimbabwe got off to a promising start after being put in to bat, reaching 60 for 1 at the halfway point. Kelis Ndhlovu held the innings together with a composed 42 off 44 balls before India took control in the middle overs. Mayers did a great job of getting the innings back on track in the final overs, finishing unbeaten on 43 off 33 balls to take Zimbabwe to 114 for 5.

World No. 1 N Shree Charani took 1 for 14, and Nandini Sharma took 2 in the final over to finish with 2 for 11. Gwanzura's 3-wicket burst and Mavunga's removal of Harmanpreet left India at 22 for 4.

Deepti and Niki then kept India in the game and prevented the visitors from making another inroads which could have altered the course of the match. Zimbabwe will rue missing that opportunity.

Seeing India's top order come under pressure, scoring 25 or more runs could have made the chase more difficult. Instead, Niki remained composed on debut, helped India win, and gave Mandhana a strong start as full-time T20I captain.

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