India Women beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the first T20I as Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad rebuild the chase after an early collapse.
Raipur: India Women defeated Zimbabwe Women by four wickets in the opening T20 International at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Friday. Chasing 115, India recovered from an early collapse to reach 116/6 in 15.4 overs, winning with 26 balls remaining.
Deepti and Niki Rebuild the Chase
Zimbabwe threatened an upset after reducing India to 19/4. Off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura led the early damage, taking three wickets inside the powerplay.
Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad then steadied the innings with an 82-run fifth-wicket partnership. Deepti scored 49 from 37 deliveries, while Niki remained unbeaten on 39 to guide India through the chase.
The partnership proved decisive despite Zimbabwe’s strong start with the ball. India’s victory gave the hosts a 1–0 lead in the three-match series.
Zimbabwe Post 114/5
Earlier, Zimbabwe finished on 114/5 in 20 overs. Kelis Ndhlovu contributed 42 from 44 balls, while Sharne Mayers supplied late momentum with an unbeaten 43 from 33 deliveries.
Nandni Sharma was India’s leading wicket-taker with 2/11, striking twice in the final over. Sree Charani returned 1/14, helping keep the target within reach.
Brief Scores
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe Women | 114/5 — 20 overs |
| India Women | 116/6 — 15.4 overs |
Result: India Women won by four wickets.
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