BackIndia endured a tense start to their campaign before debutant Niki Prasad and experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma guided the hosts to a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening women’s T20I on Friday.
Kelis Ndhlovu anchored Zimbabwe’s innings with 42 off 44 deliveries, while Sharne Mayers provided a late boost with an unbeaten 43 from 33 balls. Despite their contributions, the visitors were restricted to 114/5.
India’s chase got off to a disastrous start as they slumped to 19/4. However, Prasad remained unbeaten on 39 off 35 balls, while Deepti contributed 49 from 37 deliveries. Their crucial 82-run partnership rescued the hosts and helped them reach the target in 15.4 overs.
The Indian top order struggled against off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura, who claimed three wickets during the powerplay. Smriti Mandhana departed on the first delivery of the second over after offering a straightforward catch at square leg.
Gwanzura then dismissed Anushka Sharma, who attempted to accelerate the scoring but was caught at point. The situation worsened for India when former captain Harmanpreet Kaur lost her wicket in the third over.
Prasad, who captained India’s victorious U-19 Women’s World Cup team, showed composure and confidence on her international debut. She joined Deepti in rebuilding the innings and eventually struck the winning runs to complete India’s recovery.
Speaking after the match, Prasad said she had prepared herself for the responsibility of handling a difficult situation and was determined to take the chase deep rather than rush her innings.
She explained that once the partnership with Deepti had settled the innings, the two batters began identifying scoring opportunities and discussing which bowlers to attack while taking calculated risks.
Earlier, Ndhlovu was the standout performer for Zimbabwe, displaying an impressive range of strokes against the Indian bowling attack. The left-handed opener confidently cut and pulled deliveries pitched short while also finding gaps with drives down the ground.
After helping Zimbabwe reach 60/1 at the halfway stage, Ndhlovu struggled to maintain her scoring rate. She managed only two runs from her final 12 deliveries before Arundhati Reddy bowled her out.
Zimbabwe had already lost opening batter Beloved Biza in the first over after she missed a straight delivery from Kranti Gaud. Ndhlovu subsequently combined with Modester Mupachikwa, who scored 16 off 26 balls, in a 53-run stand that helped the visitors recover.
Mupachikwa’s dismissal in the 11th over, when she offered a simple catch to spinner Shree Charani, left Zimbabwe at 60/2. The visitors’ scoring was hampered by numerous dot balls, highlighting the challenge they face against a more experienced international side.
Mayers provided some late momentum, striking two sixes and four fours in her unbeaten knock to push Zimbabwe to a competitive total. The contest also marked the beginning of Mandhana’s tenure as India’s captain, with the hosts opening her leadership campaign with a hard-fought win.
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