Deepti Sharma, debutant Niki Prasad steer India women to four-wicket win over Zimbabwe in first T20I

India women overcame a shaky start with the bat to beat Zimbabwe women by four wickets in the opening Twenty20 International in Raipur on Friday, 16 October. Chasing 115, the hosts got home in 15.4 overs, with 26 balls left, and now lead the three-match series 1-0.

Zimbabwe held to 114

Asked to bat at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Zimbabwe finished on 114 for five from their 20 overs. Most of their runs came from two batters. Sharne Mayers remained unbeaten on 43 from 33 deliveries, an innings that included four boundaries and two sixes, while opener Kelis Ndhlovu made 42 before Arundhati Reddy removed her. Reports differ on Ndhlovu’s strike rate: the PTI copy carried by ThePrint lists 44 balls, while Telangana Today puts it at 30.

Nandani Sharma was the most economical of the Indian bowlers, claiming two for 11; both of her victims were stumped by wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh in the final over. Spinner Shree Charani bowled her four overs for 14 runs and one wicket, and also held a catch to send back Modester Mupachikwa for 16. Telangana Today noted that Charani entered the match as the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is this calendar year. Kranti Gaud trapped Beloved Biza lbw without scoring.

Early collapse, then a rescue

India’s reply began badly. Seamer Nyasha Gwanzura struck with her first delivery to remove Smriti Mandhana and later accounted for Anushka Sharma, while Michelle Mavunga dismissed Harmanpreet Kaur. Shafali Verma also fell cheaply, leaving India at 19 for four inside four overs. According to Telangana Today, it was the first time India had lost four wickets so quickly in a women’s T20I.

Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad then steadied the chase with a fifth-wicket stand of 82 off 63 balls. Deepti was caught one short of a half-century, out for 49 off the bowling of Olinder Chare, but Prasad stayed to the end on 39 not out in her first international innings and struck the winning boundary off Tendai Makusha.

• Zimbabwe: 114/5 in 20 overs (Mayers 43*, Ndhlovu 42; Nandani Sharma 2/11, Shree Charani 1/14)
• India: 116/6 in 15.4 overs (Deepti Sharma 49, Niki Prasad 39*; Gwanzura 3/18, Mavunga 1/19)
• Result: India won by four wickets, lead series 1-0

What comes next

The match was the first women’s international staged in Raipur. Zimbabwe had lost all 18 of their T20Is this year before the game, according to Telangana Today. Richa Ghosh’s two stumpings took her tally of wicketkeeping dismissals in women’s T20Is to 94.

The second T20I is scheduled for Sunday, 18 October, and the third for 20 October, both in Raipur. The teams then move to Vadodara for three One-Day Internationals on 23, 25 and 28 October, which count towards the ICC Women’s Championship, as per the schedule published by The Bridge.

Sources: ThePrint (PTI), Telangana Today, The Bridge