Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad seal nervy chase of 115 for India

It was not quite the baptism by fire that Smriti Mandhana expected in her first match as full-time captain, but India overcame a scare to beat Zimbabwe by four wickets and 26 balls to spare in the first women's T20I in Raipur.

After restricting Zimbabwe to 114 for 5, grossly under-par for the conditions at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium hosting its first women's international, India found themselves 19 for 4 in the first 19 balls of the chase. Offspinner Nyasha Gwanzura accounted for India's new captain, vice-captain Shafali Verma and new No. 3 Anushka Sharma in an opening spell for the ages.

But Niki Prasad, on T20I debut, and Deepti Sharma ensured that India's home season started on the right note. Interestingly, Prasad had played a similar knock on her WPL debut in 2025 with Delhi Capitals in trouble when she walked in, and walked out with a Player-of-the-Match award.

India took 14 runs off the opening over bowled by Tendai Makusha to get their 115-run chase underway in top gear. Mandhana heaved a short ball over midwicket before getting a toe-end to deep third, where Sharne Mayers misfielded. When Shafali ended the over with a crisp drive through cover-point, it looked as if India would make easy work of the paltry ask.

Zimbabwe brought on offspin against Mandhana, like most teams do in T20Is these days, and were quickly rewarded, even if it wasn't a wicket-taking ball. Gwanzura bowler her first ball short on middle, and Mandhana could take hit wherever she wanted. But she only managed a top-edge when she rocked back to pull it over square leg and Makusha took it safely in the ring. A ball after Anusha cut a shortish ball through point, Gwanzura had her reaching out to a flighted ball and slice it to backward point.

Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur then whipped a full length ball on leg straight to midwicket off Michelle Mavunga, who bowls with a slingy action. When Gwanzura had Shafali caught off her own bowling at the start of the fourth over, it looked as if the wheels of India's run-chase might truly come off.