Shafali Verma 55 off 25 as India women beat Zimbabwe by 9 wickets to win T20I series

Shafali Verma hit 55 off 25 balls and Smriti Mandhana an unbeaten 47 off 25 as India women beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the 2nd T20I in Raipur on Sunday 18 October, taking an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing 103, India got there in 8.5 overs with 67 balls to spare, and Shafali was named player of the match, ESPNcricinfo reported. It is Mandhana's first series win as India's full-time captain.

Next: 3rd T20I, Tuesday 20 October, 6:30pm PKT (7pm IST), Raipur. The three ODIs follow in Vadodara on 23, 25 and 28 October, the ICC has said.

Result: 18 October 2026

• Zimbabwe women: 102/8 (20 overs). Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 34 off 32, Josephine Nkomo 27 off 35; Niki Prasad 2-7.
• India women: 104/1 (8.5 overs). Shafali Verma 55 off 25, Smriti Mandhana 47 not out off 25.
• India won by 9 wickets and lead the series 2-0.

Shafali Verma and Mandhana's 96-run stand

The openers put on 96 for the first wicket and India were 76 for 0 after the six-over powerplay. Of those 96 runs, 84 came in boundaries. Shafali hit six fours and four sixes before she was caught at long-on in the eighth over with seven needed; Mandhana finished it with a six over extra cover.

Mandhana's best moment came in the fifth over, when she hit off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura for four fours in a row. Two days earlier she had made 9 in the first T20I, which India won by four wickets after slipping to 19 for 4.

India's bowlers squeeze Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe chose to bat on a slow, grippy pitch and faced 71 dot balls. They were 20 for 1 after the powerplay, with Kelis Ndhlovu out for an 11-ball duck to Nandani Sharma. Mugeri-Tiripano was dropped twice, once by Shafali, before Niki Prasad, on as the seventh bowler in the 15th over, took wickets with her first two legal balls in international cricket. ESPNcricinfo said she is only the fourth bowler in women's internationals to do that. Five of India's seven bowlers took at least one wicket.

Why it matters here

"Shafali Verma" was among the searches trending in Pakistan on Sunday, according to Google Trends, as the India-Zimbabwe series drew interest alongside Pakistan's own home cricket. Pakistan's women have no international match in the next week; their fixtures and squad are on our Pakistan women's cricket page, and every match this week, with times in PKT, is in our cricket match centre. In India the series is on Star Sports and JioHotstar, Wisden reported; no Pakistan broadcaster has been announced.

1st T20I, Friday 16 October 2026

India women beat Zimbabwe by 4 wickets in the 1st T20I in Raipur on Friday, chasing 115 to win with 26 balls to spare in Smriti Mandhana's first match as India's full-time captain. Zimbabwe made 114 for 5 in their 20 overs; India reached 116 for 6 in 15.4 overs, with Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad seeing them home after a wobble, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Result: 16 October 2026

• Zimbabwe women: 114/5 (20 overs)
• India women: 116/6 (15.4 overs)
• India won by 4 wickets (with 26 balls remaining)

India lost six wickets chasing a modest target, a nervy start for the new captain, before Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad finished it.

Before the match

The India vs Zimbabwe women's series began in Raipur on Friday evening with Smriti Mandhana in charge as India's full-time captain for the first time. She won the toss and chose to bowl in the first of three T20Is, ESPNcricinfo reported.

It is the first time the two teams have met in international cricket, and the first women's T20I played in Raipur. "Zimbabwe vs India" was one of the most searched sport queries in Pakistan on Friday, according to Google Trends.

Early overs

Kranti Gaud struck with the last ball of the first over, trapping Beloved Biza lbw for 0. After four overs Zimbabwe were 25 for 1, with Kelis Ndhlovu on 22 off 14 balls. The players wore black armbands in memory of Sarah Dambanevana.

Niki Prasad's debut

India handed a first international cap to Niki Prasad, presented by Mandhana and listed at No. 5. She arrives in form: an unbeaten 54 against Australia A in a T20, then 76 off 71 balls and four wickets in a one-day game against the same side.

With Jemimah Rodrigues out with a hamstring injury, Prasad and Anushka Sharma, batting at No. 3, have a chance to claim long-term places. Harmanpreet Kaur bats at No. 4. Jintimani Kalita, G Kamalini, Minnu Mani and Prema Rawat were left out. Shafali Verma is vice-captain for the T20Is.

Zimbabwe welcomed back their captain Josephine Nkomo, who missed their last game against West Indies.

Playing XIs (1st T20I)

India: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Niki Prasad, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud.

Zimbabwe: Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Josephine Nkomo (captain), Sharne Mayers, Modester Mupachikwa (wk), Michelle Mavunga, Francisca Chipare, Tendai Makusha, Olinder Chare, Loryn Phiri.

Pakistan women

Pakistan's women's fixtures, squad and results are kept on our Pakistan women's cricket page. The men's ODI tri-series with Sri Lanka and England starts in Rawalpindi on Sunday 18 October (schedule), and India's men play West Indies in the deciding 5th T20I in Bengaluru on Saturday at 6:30pm PKT (preview).