India Women thrashed Zimbabwe Women by nine wickets in the second T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Sunday, 18 October 2026, sealing the three-match series 2-0 with a game to spare. After winning the toss and opting to bat, Zimbabwe could only manage 102 for 8 in their 20 overs; India chased down the target of 103 in just 8.5 overs, with 67 balls to spare — the largest margin by balls in a 100-plus chase in Women’s T20I history. Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match for a blistering 55 off 25 balls.
Read our India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 2nd T20I preview for the pre-match build-up and squads, and our 1st T20I recap for how the series started.
Zimbabwe Opt to Bat, Fold for 102 for 8
Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo won the toss and chose to bat — and it backfired quickly. Smriti Mandhana, who had asked for “more discipline with the ball” after Friday’s opening game, saw Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma share the new ball and choke the run flow with good lengths on a grippy, slow pitch. Zimbabwe crawled to 20 for 1 in the powerplay, facing 71 dot balls across the innings.
Opener Kelis Ndhlovu perished for an 11-ball duck, swinging through the line and losing her shape to be bowled by Nandani Sharma. Beloved Biza fell just after the powerplay, running down the track and sending Deepti Sharma’s delivery straight to Harmanpreet Kaur at extra cover. Sharne Mayers made 9 off 10 and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano fought back with a game-aware 34 off 32 balls (5 fours), surviving two dropped catches — one by Shafali off Shree Charani in the 12th over and one by Kranti Gaud at long-on in the 13th.
Then came the Niki Prasad moment. Introduced in the 15th over, the debutant struck with her very first ball in international cricket, removing Mugeri-Tiripano, and then Nyasha Gwanzura with the next ball — becoming the first Indian woman to take a wicket off her first ball in T20I cricket and only the fourth bowler in women’s internationals to take two wickets with her first two legitimate balls. She was agonisingly close to a hat-trick, and finished with superb figures of 2 for 7 in 2 overs. Nkomo hung around for an unbeaten 27 off 35 to drag Zimbabwe past 100, but 102 for 8 was never going to be enough. Mandhana used seven bowling options, five of whom took at least one wicket.
Shafali and Mandhana Chase It Down in 8.5 Overs
If India’s bowling had been a team effort, the top order finished the job in fast-forward. Chasing 103, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana — the captain who had departed for nine in the first T20I — raced to 76 for 0 in the powerplay, a brutal contrast to Zimbabwe’s laboured start.
The highlight of the powerplay was the fifth over, bowled by off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura: Mandhana hit four consecutive fours — over cow corner, long-off, deep square leg and long-off again — in an exhibition of range-hitting. Shafali then took on Michelle Mavunga in the sixth over, smashing two fours and a six in three consecutive deliveries. The pair added 96 runs for the opening wicket — their ninth 50-plus partnership in 2026, a joint women’s T20I record for a calendar year — and made 84 of their 96 runs in boundaries.
Shafali reached her 22nd T20I half-century off just 24 balls, but holed out to long-on the very next ball, caught by Tendai Makusha off Beloved Biza for 55 off 25 (6 fours, 4 sixes). It mattered little. Anushka Sharma (1 off 4) was a formality at No. 3, and Mandhana finished it in style with a towering six off Olinder Chare, ending unbeaten on 47 off 25 (6 fours, 2 sixes). India won with 67 balls remaining — surpassing the previous record held by West Indies, who chased 107 against Zimbabwe in Harare with 65 balls to spare.
Key Performances
- Shafali Verma (55 off 25) — Player of the Match; 6 fours, 4 sixes, 50 off 24 balls. Said she “couldn’t sleep” after getting out to an off-spinner in the first game and worked on timing and taking singles.
- Smriti Mandhana (47* off 25) — unbeaten captain’s knock to finish the chase; first series win as full-time captain.
- Niki Prasad (2/7 in 2 overs) — dream bowling debut: two wickets in her first two balls, first Indian woman with a first-ball T20I wicket.
- Deepti Sharma (1/13), Kranti Gaud (1/15), Nandani Sharma and Shree Charani — disciplined support as Zimbabwe faced 71 dots.
- Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano (34 off 32) and Josephine Nkomo (27* off 35) — Zimbabwe’s only double-figure scores; added 45 for the fifth wicket.
What This Means for the Series
This was a statement win for Smriti Mandhana’s India. After a scrappy four-wicket win on Friday, the hosts were ruthless in every department — sharper with the ball, electric in the powerplay, and clinical in the field (dropped catches aside, as Mandhana herself admitted). It was India’s 17th T20I victory in 2026, already their most in a single calendar year (surpassing 16 in 2018), and their 10th straight win in the format.
With the series sealed 2-0, the third and final T20I on Tuesday, 20 October — again in Raipur — is a dead rubber, giving India room to experiment with squad options while Zimbabwe will want to fix their batting: only two players reached double figures, and the powerplay scoring remains a worry. See our series preview for the full squads and schedule.
Full Scorecard
Zimbabwe Women Innings — 102/8 (20 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelis Ndhlovu | b Nandani Sharma | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Beloved Biza | c Harmanpreet Kaur b Deepti Sharma | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 53.84 |
| Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano | c Richa Ghosh b Niki Prasad | 34 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 106.25 |
| Sharne Mayers | c Deepti Sharma b Kranti Gaud | 9 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 90.00 |
| Josephine Nkomo (c) | not out | 27 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 77.14 |
| Nyasha Gwanzura | lbw b Niki Prasad | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Modester Mupachikwa (wk) | run out (Shree Charani/Richa Ghosh) | 9 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 81.81 |
| Michelle Mavunga | c Niki Prasad b Shree Charani | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Francisca Chipare | run out (Anushka Sharma/Kranti Gaud) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Did not bat: Tendai Makusha, Olinder Chare
Extras: 12 (leg byes 5, wides 7) | Total: 102/8 (20 overs, RR 5.10)
Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Ndhlovu, 3.4 ov), 2-20 (Biza, 6.2 ov), 3-30 (Mayers, 8.1 ov), 4-75 (Mugeri-Tiripano, 14.1 ov), 5-75 (Gwanzura, 14.2 ov), 6-94 (Mupachikwa, 17.4 ov), 7-99 (Mavunga, 18.3 ov), 8-102 (Chipare, 19.6 ov)
India Women Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kranti Gaud | 4 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 3.75 |
| Nandani Sharma | 3 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 5.66 |
| Deepti Sharma | 3 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 4.33 |
| Arundhati Reddy | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 5.66 |
| Shree Charani | 4 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 5.25 |
| Shafali Verma | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 |
| Niki Prasad | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3.50 |
India Women Innings — 104/1 (8.5 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shafali Verma | c Tendai Makusha b Beloved Biza | 55 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 220.00 |
| Smriti Mandhana (c) | not out | 47 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 188.00 |
| Anushka Sharma | not out | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
Did not bat: Harmanpreet Kaur, Niki Prasad, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud
Extras: 1 (no ball 1) | Total: 104/1 (8.5 overs, RR 11.77)
Fall of wickets: 1-96 (Shafali Verma, 7.5 ov)
Zimbabwe Women Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyasha Gwanzura | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 14.00 |
| Tendai Makusha | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 9.50 |
| Michelle Mavunga | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15.00 |
| Olinder Chare | 1.5 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 10.36 |
| Beloved Biza | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 9.00 |
Toss: Zimbabwe Women won the toss and elected to bat. Player of the Match: Shafali Verma (55 off 25). Result: India Women won by 9 wickets (67 balls remaining).
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 2nd T20I 2026?
India Women beat Zimbabwe Women by 9 wickets at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on 18 October 2026, chasing down 103 in just 8.5 overs with 67 balls to spare.
Who was the Player of the Match in the 2nd T20I?
Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match for her blistering 55 off 25 balls, which included six fours and four sixes.
What record did India set with this win?
India’s chase with 67 balls remaining is the largest margin by balls in a 100-plus chase in Women’s T20I history, surpassing West Indies’ 65-ball chase of 107 against Zimbabwe in Harare.
What did Niki Prasad achieve on her bowling debut?
Niki Prasad became the first Indian women’s cricketer to take a wicket off the very first ball of her T20I career, and the fourth bowler in women’s internationals to take two wickets with her first two legitimate balls. She finished with 2/7 in 2 overs.
What is the series score after the 2nd T20I?
India lead the three-match series 2-0, having won the 1st T20I by four wickets on 16 October and the 2nd T20I by nine wickets on 18 October.
When is the 3rd T20I between India Women and Zimbabwe Women?
The third and final T20I will be played on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, starting at 7:00 PM IST.
Conclusion
From 19 for 4 in the first game to a record-breaking 9-wicket romp in the second, this series has shown two sides of the new-look India under Smriti Mandhana — and the ruthless one sealed it early. Shafali Verma’s 25-ball 55 and Niki Prasad’s dream debut made it a night to remember in Raipur. Zimbabwe have one last chance on Tuesday to restore some pride before they head home.
Source: ESPNcricinfo match report — IND-W vs ZIM-W 2nd T20I.
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