Raipur: Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 91 off 41 balls and Nandani Sharma’s three-wicket haul powered India to a comprehensive 92-run victory over Zimbabwe in the third and final women’s T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Tuesday, completing a series sweep.
Batting first, India posted a mammoth 216/7 in 20 overs, with Harmanpreet and Shafali Verma striking half-centuries to put the hosts in a commanding position. Zimbabwe, in reply, were restricted to 124/7, with Nandani returning figures of 3/18 to lead the bowling effort.
The 92-run defeat is Zimbabwe’s joint fifth-biggest loss in women’s T20Is by runs. Their biggest defeat in the format came against Pakistan in Karachi in 2026, when they lost by 153 runs, followed by another 133-run defeat against the same opponents at the same venue.
Their next-biggest defeats were by 110 and 92 runs against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2026. The loss to India in Raipur is on par with the 92-run defeat against New Zealand, while Zimbabwe also suffered two 80-run defeats against South Africa in Bulawayo in 2026.
India made a strong start after opting to bat first, with Shafali and Anushka Sharma opening the innings. Anushka contributed 28 runs before departing, while Shafali continued to attack and scored 61. Harmanpreet then took charge, racing past her half-century in 25 balls and maintaining the momentum with an unbeaten 91 off 41 deliveries.
The remaining Indian batters struggled to make substantial contributions as they looked to accelerate, with several falling for single-digit scores. Beloved Biza was the pick of Zimbabwe’s bowlers, conceding 50 runs in her four overs while claiming three wickets.
Nomvelo Sibanda, Tendai Makusha and Nyasha Gwanzura picked up one wicket apiece.
Zimbabwe’s chase suffered an immediate setback as Kelis Ndlovu was dismissed for a golden duck off the first ball. They lost another wicket in the following over, putting the visitors under early pressure.
Beloved Biza scored 44, and Shrne Mayers made 50, combining for an 82-run partnership. However, their stand came at almost a run-a-ball, leaving Zimbabwe with too much to do against the required run rate. With little support from the other batters, Zimbabwe finished at 124/7 in their 20 overs.
Nandani led India’s bowling attack with 3/18, while Niki Prasad, Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaud and Arundhati Reddy claimed a wicket each to seal the 92-run win and complete the series sweep.
Brief scores:
India Women 216/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 91 not out, Shafali Verma 69; Beloved Biza 3-50) beat Zimbabwe Women 124/7 in 20 overs (Sharne Mayers 60, Beloved Biza 44; Nandani Sharma 3-18) by 92 runs.
(IANS)
