With one match remaining in the series, India defeated Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the second Twenty20 International, marking the start of Smriti Mandhana’s tenure as the country’s full-time captain. In what turned out to be a very one-sided match, India chased down a target of 103 in just 8.5 overs, finishing on 104/1.
Leading the batting assault was Shafali Verma, who finished at 55 with a 24-ball half-century that featured six fours and four sixes. Mandhana won with a six and was still undefeated at 47. In just six overs, the opening pair reached 76/0, India’s second-highest Powerplay score in women’s Twenty20 Internationals. The victory occurred with 67 balls remaining, the most in a women’s T20I chase of 100 or more.
How did the bowlers from India set up the victory?
Throughout their innings, Zimbabwe was firmly restrained by India’s bowlers. At the end of the Powerplay, the hosts were reduced to 20/1 after Nandani Sharma dismissed Zimbabwe’s opener Kelis Ndhlovu in the fourth over. Zimbabwe faced more difficulties in the middle overs, falling to 20/2 and then 30/3 in the ninth over.
After a brief 45-run partnership between Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Niki Prasad became the third player in both men’s and women’s T20I cricket to strike twice in the first two balls of her spell. Prasad’s final numbers were 2/7. Zimbabwe’s innings began at 75/5 in 14.2 overs and ended at 102/8 after barely reaching three figures in the last over. Mugeri-Tiripano had the highest score, 34.
The goal was quickly rendered insignificant by the India openers. Nyasha Gwanzura hit a six in the same over after Shafali started the innings with a boundary. Shafali carried on her assault in the fifth over, hitting five boundaries off the same bowler, while Mandhana punished Gwanzura in her subsequent over. Shafali hit a big six off Olinder Chare in the seventh over after going four, four, six against Michelle Mavunga in the sixth.
Also Read: Shafali Verma Sets Calendar-Year Fifty-Plus Record
Shafali hit a six in the eighth over to reach her fifty, but she lost the next ball. Her score of 55 was the highest of any player in a single calendar year in women’s T20Is and her ninth fifty-plus score in 2026. Additionally, the partnership was the attacking Indian openers’ ninth opening stand of fifty runs or more in 2026, setting a joint record for a calendar year in women’s T20I cricket. After Shafali was removed, Mandhana completed the chase with six balls, giving India a convincing series victory.
