The Indian women’s cricket team has set a challenging target of 217 runs for Zimbabwe in the held at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
The ‘Women in Blue’ aim to secure a of the series with a 3-0 victory.
Winning the toss, Indian captain Smriti Mandhana opted to bat first. Opening batswomen Shafali Verma and Anushka Sharma put together a solid partnership, scoring 54 runs in just 5.2 overs. Anushka contributed 28 runs off 20 balls, hitting five boundaries before being dismissed.
Following Anushka’s departure, the partnership between Shafali and Nikki Prasad was short-lived, adding only 14 runs. Nikki managed to score just 9 runs before becoming the second wicket to fall.
Star batter Harmanpreet Kaur came in at number four and formed a formidable partnership with Shafali, adding 84 runs in 41 balls for the third wicket. Shafali showcased her power hitting, scoring 69 runs off 37 balls, including five sixes and six fours.
After Shafali’s exit, Harmanpreet took charge, guiding the team past the 200-run mark with several crucial partnerships. She remained unbeaten on 91 runs, hitting 5 sixes and 10 fours from 41 balls. Notably, did not bat in this innings. India finished their 20 overs with a total of 216 runs, losing 7 wickets. For Zimbabwe, Bilwod Biza was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets for 50 runs in four overs, while Nomvelo Sibanda, Tendai Mukusha, and Nyasha Gwandura each took one wicket.
Under Smriti Mandhana’s leadership, the Indian team featured players like Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nikki Prasad, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Nandini Sharma, Kranti Gaud, and Prema Rawat.
Zimbabwe’s playing XI included Kelis Ndhlovu, Bilwod Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Sharne Meyers, Josephine Nkomo (captain), Nyasha Gwandura, Modester Mupachikwa (wicketkeeper), Kudzhai Chigora, Lorin Firi, Tendai Mukusha, and Nomvelo Sibanda.
Following the , both teams will compete in a three-match ODI series on October 23, 25, and 28, hosted at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara.