India Women Win By Nine Wickets To Seal Zimbabwe T20I Series

India Women vs Zimbabwe ended in a nine-wicket win for the hosts at Raipur on Sunday. The result sealed the three-match T20I series with a game to spare. Zimbabwe made 102 for eight. India chased it down in 8.5 overs.

Shafali Verma scored 55 from 25 balls. Smriti Mandhana finished unbeaten on 47 and ended the match with a six. India lead the series 2-0. The match was played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

Mugeri-Tiripano top-scores in a stalled innings

Zimbabwe chose to bat and were 30 for three inside nine overs. Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano made 34 from 32 balls with five fours. Captain Josephine Nkomo finished on 27 not out from 35 balls. The pair added 45 for the fourth wicket, and no other batter passed 20.

Zimbabwe used their full 20 overs for 102. The rate never reached six an over.

Shafali reaches fifty in 24 balls

India were never troubled. Shafali hit six fours and four sixes, reaching her half-century from 24 balls. She and Mandhana put on 96 before Beloved Biza removed her. India had 50 on the board inside five overs.

Mandhana struck six fours and two sixes. Anushka Sharma was unbeaten at the other end when the chase finished with 67 balls to spare.

Niki Prasad strikes with her first two balls

Niki Prasad, 20, took two for seven from two overs after being brought on in the 15th. The Statesman reported that her wickets came off her first two deliveries in international cricket, making her the first India player to do that. She had scored 39 not out in the opening match of the series.

"I feel really good that I was able to get bowling today and use that opportunity to help the team," Prasad said. Kranti Gaud took one for 15. Deepti Sharma took one for 13. Shree Charani and Nandni Sharma picked up a wicket each.

A first series win under Mandhana

Mandhana was named India captain earlier this month, before this series began. This is her first series win in the role. The Statesman also recorded the result as India's 17th T20I win of the calendar year, passing the 16 they managed in 2018.

The two games have looked very different. India got home with four wickets in hand in the opener and needed Deepti Sharma and Prasad to settle it. On Sunday the chase took under nine overs. Both matches were played at Raipur.

How the series has gone:

• 16 October, Raipur: India won by four wickets, chasing 115
• 18 October, Raipur: India won by nine wickets, chasing 103
• Third T20I to come, with India leading 2-0

Zimbabwe have been held under 115 in both games. Nkomo carried the innings to the close on Sunday without finding a partner who could push the rate. The third match is a dead rubber.