Smriti Mandhana began her full-time captaincy with a series win. India beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the second T20I in Raipur on Sunday. The result gave India a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final match is on October 20.
Zimbabwe batted first and made 102 for 8 in 20 overs. Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano scored 34, and Josephine Nkomo made 27. Niki Prasad was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 7 in two overs. Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma and Sree Charani took one wicket each. India were not perfect in the field, but the bowlers kept Zimbabwe under control.
India chased the target in 8.5 overs. They finished on 103 for 1. Shafali Verma made 55 off 25 balls. Mandhana stayed unbeaten on 47 off 25. The two openers attacked from the start. India were 76 without loss after the powerplay. Shafali reached her fifty in the eighth over and was out on the next ball. Mandhana finished the game with a six in the ninth over. India won with 67 balls to spare.
The win set two records. It was India’s 17th T20I victory of 2026, their most in a calendar year. The previous best was 16, set in 2018. It was also the biggest win by balls remaining while chasing a target of 100 or more in women’s T20Is. The old mark belonged to the West Indies, who chased 107 against Zimbabwe with 65 balls left.
Niki Prasad had another strong match. She took two wickets in two overs. She also became the first Indian woman to take a wicket with her first ball in T20I cricket. She nearly took a hat trick, but an LBW appeal missed the leg stump. In her debut game, she had made an unbeaten 39. Zimbabwe could not repeat their first-match total of 114 for 5. India will now look for a clean sweep in the third T20I.
…Her Captaincy Philosophy and Ambitions to Make India No. 1 in All Formats
Smriti Mandhana took over from Harmanpreet Kaur. Before this, she had captained India only when Harmanpreet was unavailable.
Mandhana calls herself a “player’s captain”. She believes a leader is first on the list but last in duty. Whatever the team needs, the captain must be there to help. She wants to build a team where everyone takes on leadership roles. She also wants players to feel free to make mistakes and grow in their own roles.
Mandhana has played for India for 13 years. She says she understands players better now. Earlier, she thought everyone approached the game the same way she did. She has learned that each player has a different intent and style. She lets them grow, make mistakes, and find their own way. She has also learned when to speak and what to say.
As captain, Mandhana wants to bring a high level of professionalism. She wants this in training, recovery, and everything else. She says the culture is already there in some ways. She just wants to fine-tune it and make the team a well-oiled machine. She wants to leave a culture that stays strong after she finishes.
She does not want to put too much pressure on herself right now. She prefers to make small changes. She believes those small changes will lead to the bigger goals. She says she is a calm person. She can put an arm around a player when needed. But she can also tell players how to improve. Some matches go down to the wire, and she knows she must step up then. Mandhana has already broken many records as a batter.
FAQs
Q. Who won the second T20I between India and Zimbabwe?
A. India won by nine wickets and took a 2-0 lead in the series.
Q. How many runs did Shafali Verma score against Zimbabwe?
A. Shafali scored 55 runs off 25 balls.
Q. How many runs did Smriti Mandhana score in the second T20I?
A. Mandhana remained unbeaten on 47 off 25 balls.
Q. What historic achievement did Niki Prasad record?
A. Niki became the first Indian woman to take a wicket with her first ball in T20I cricket.
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