India Women opened their home series against Zimbabwe with a four-wicket win on 16 October 2026 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur, per All India Radio. It was Smriti Mandhana’s first series as full-time captain.
More on this topic: TechnoSports India Women coverage.
Key Details at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | 114/5 (Ndhlovu 42, Mayers 43*) |
| India | 116/6 in 15.4 overs |
| Fifth-wicket stand | 82 (Deepti 49, Prasad 39*) |
| Series | India lead 1-0 |
| Upcoming | T20Is 18 and 20 Oct; ODIs in Vadodara 23, 25, 28 Oct |
The chase
India lost four wickets in the powerplay before debutant Niki Prasad (39 not out) and Deepti Sharma (49) added 82 for the fifth wicket. Nandni Sharma took two wickets earlier. It was Zimbabwe’s first bilateral women’s series against India and Raipur’s first women’s international.
Mandhana’s captaincy
BCCI’s news list shows Mandhana appointed captain on 6 October. She won the toss and fielded because of dew; Shafali Verma is vice-captain. Zimbabwe wore black armbands for former player and umpire Sarah Dambanevana, who died aged 36 on 12 October.
What next
The result of the second T20I on 18 October was not verified at the time of writing. See BCCI and our women’s cricket coverage.
Quick Answers
Who won the first T20I?
India Women by four wickets.
Who debuted?
Niki Prasad.
Who captains India Women?
Smriti Mandhana.
Source: All India Radio, Devdiscourse.
