Not even four overs into the innings, India were in deep trouble. It was hardly the ideal start to Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy tenure as Zimbabwe, facing India for the first time, put the hosts’ top order under immense pressure, leaving them reeling at 19/4 in the first T20I at Raipur on Friday.
In the end, India, who had restricted Zimbabwe to 114/5, won by four wickets, reaching 116/6 in 15.4 overs.
Niki Prasad’s debut ended up being a baptism of fire, but she took India home for a four-wicket win. The former India U-19 captain, however, had been in a similar situation during her Women’s Premier League debut for Delhi Capitals in 2025.
With DC needing 89 off 65 balls and their top four back in the dugout, Prasad rose to the occasion, producing a match-winning 35 off 32 balls against the Mumbai Indians in Vadodara to earn the player of the match award.
She again showed composure under pressure, scoring an unbeaten 39 off 35, joining forces with the ever-reliable Deepti Sharma to stitch together a crucial 82-run partnership and pull India out of trouble. With her experience and composure, the seasoned allrounder guided the youngster through a difficult phase, helping India steady the innings after a disastrous start.
Deepti was dismissed for 49 by Ollinder Chare, but Prasad stayed on till the end, taking the team across with the line, the winning runs coming off her bat with 4.2 overs to spare.
{{/usCountry}}Deepti was dismissed for 49 by Ollinder Chare, but Prasad stayed on till the end, taking the team across with the line, the winning runs coming off her bat with 4.2 overs to spare.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, India’s bowlers pulled things back impressively after Zimbabwe made a promising start, restricting the visitors to 114/5. Zimbabwe were comfortably placed at 60/1 at the halfway stage, with Kelis Ndhlovu and Modester Mupachikwa building a solid platform.
Ndhlovu led Zimbabwe’s early charge, striking seven fours in her 42 off 44 balls. She found the boundary regularly in the first half of the innings, while Mupachikwa provided support, scoring 16. The pair appeared to have laid the foundation for a competitive total before India’s bowlers wrested control.
Spinner Shree Charani was effective again, dismissing Mupachikwa and finishing with economical figures of 1/14 from her four overs. Ndhlovu raced to 42 off 32 deliveries before pacer Arundhati Reddy bowled her with a full toss.
There was some drama just before Ndhlovu’s dismissal, when debutant Niki Prasad’s diving effort at long-off was initially ruled a catch. Replays showed that the ball had touched the turf, allowing the batter to continue until before Reddy broke through.
With Zimbabwe struggling to find momentum, Sharne Mayers took responsibility for the late acceleration, scoring an unbeaten 43 off 33 balls, providing the innings much-needed impetus. Despite the big hits, Zimbabwe struggled to rotate the strike as India maintained their grip, holding them back at 114/5.
Mayers struck 15 runs off Reddy’s final over to push Zimbabwe past the 100-run mark, but Nandani Sharma ensured the visitors could not finish with another flourish. She dismissed Gwanzura and Mavunga off successive deliveries in the final over, conceding just three runs and finishing with outstanding figures of 2/11.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 114/5 (Kelis Ndhlovu 42, Sharne Mayers 43, Nandani 2/11). India 116/6 in 15.4 ovs (Niki Prasad 39, Deepti Sharma 49, Nyasha Gwanzura 3/18). India won by 4 wkts.