Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad rescue India from 19 for four as Smriti Mandhana's side set up Zimbabwe decider

Partnership saves India after top-order implosion

India survived a major scare in the opening women's T20 International against Zimbabwe, recovering from 19 for four to secure a four-wicket victory. The match-winning effort came from an 82-run partnership between debutant Niki Prasad and seasoned all-rounder Deepti Sharma.

Gwanzura strikes early

The Indian batters were guilty of throwing their wickets away. Zimbabwe off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura struck three times in the powerplay, putting the hosts' batting line-up under pressure. Captain Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma and former skipper Harmanpreet Kaur all fell for single-digit scores.

Deepti defends aggressive approach

Despite the early collapse, Deepti Sharma backed the team's commitment to aggressive cricket. "Of course, we want to play an aggressive brand of cricket, and that was in our mind," Deepti told reporters after the match. "Occasionally these things happen in a match. There is no god who gives you exactly what you want. But we always learn from our innings and our matches. I'm sure what happened today won't happen in the next match."

Niki Prasad impresses on debut

Niki Prasad made an impressive start to her senior international career, showing composure and sound strokeplay under pressure. "Niki played really well. Honestly, it didn't seem at all like she was making her debut. It felt like she had played quite a few matches in the past, for the country."

Mandhana's side look to bounce back

Mandhana, who took over the captaincy at the start of the series, will be keen to lead from the front when India face Zimbabwe in the second T20I in Raipur on Sunday. The hosts will want a more assured start from their top four to avoid relying on another recovery effort. Mandhana had earlier said the six-match home series would be used to set clear T20I standards ahead of the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy in February 2027.