India overcame a dramatic top-order collapse to begin Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy tenure with a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first Women’s T20I on Friday. Debutant Niki Prasad and veteran all-rounder Deepti Sharma rescued the hosts with a match-winning 82-run partnership after the team slipped to 19 for four while chasing 115.
Prasad remained unbeaten on 39 off 35 balls, while Deepti contributed 49 off 37 deliveries as India reached the target in 15.4 overs. The duo brought composure to an innings that had threatened to derail after Zimbabwe off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura struck three times during the powerplay.
Mandhana’s first match as captain got off to a disastrous start when she fell for a duck in the second over, offering a straightforward
catch at square leg. Gwanzura then dismissed Anushka Sharma, who was caught at point while attempting to accelerate the scoring. Former captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s dismissal in the third over left India reeling.
With the required rate manageable but wickets falling rapidly, Prasad and Deepti prioritised rebuilding the innings before identifying opportunities to attack. Prasad, who captained India’s victorious Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup team, displayed maturity beyond her experience on debut and finished the contest by hitting the winning runs.
“I think I was well-prepared. I knew that when I walked in, my job was simply to take the game deep and see it through, and that’s exactly what I focused on out in the middle,” Prasad said.
She added that the pair discussed which bowlers to target and where they could take calculated risks after stabilising the innings.
Earlier, Zimbabwe posted 114 for five after being asked to bat, with opener Kelis Ndhlovu and Sharne Mayers providing the bulk of their runs. Ndhlovu struck 42 off 44 balls, using cuts, pulls and drives to keep the scoreboard moving during the initial stages.
She shared a 53-run partnership with Modester Mupachikwa, who scored 16 off 26 balls, after Beloved Biza was bowled by Kranti Gaud in the opening over. Zimbabwe reached 60 for one after 10 overs but struggled to maintain momentum as India’s bowlers tightened their grip. Ndhlovu managed only two runs from her final 12 deliveries before Arundhati Reddy bowled her.
Mupachikwa subsequently fell to Shree Charani, leaving Zimbabwe searching for acceleration. Mayers supplied the late impetus with an unbeaten 43 off 33 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes, to take her side past 110.
However, the visitors’ inability to rotate the strike consistently left them with a modest total. India and Zimbabwe are meeting in a bilateral series for the first time, with the hosts taking an early lead in the three-match contest.
