Shafali Verma needed just 24 balls to make sure India would not be chasing anything nervy this time. Her unbeaten 55, laced with six fours and four sixes, carried India Women to a nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe Women in the second T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, and with it an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Verma was named Player of the Match for the knock, and she even chipped in with an over of bowling on a night when India barely broke sweat. Captain Smriti Mandhana walked off unbeaten on 47 from 25 balls, finishing the chase with a six, as the pair’s 96-run opening stand took the game away from Zimbabwe inside nine overs.
A Chase Finished in 8.5 Overs
Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that looked reasonable for about an hour and then aged badly. Zimbabwe managed 102 for 8 in their 20 overs, with Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano top-scoring at 34 and Nkomo herself unbeaten on 27.
India’s bowlers kept chipping away through the middle. Nikki Prasad struck twice, including a burst in which she removed Mugeri-Tiripano and Nyasha Gwanzura with consecutive deliveries, while Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Nandini Sharma and Deepti Sharma picked up a wicket apiece. Gaud’s dismissal of Sharne Mayers — Zimbabwe’s top scorer in the first match — for 9 was arguably the softening blow that let Prasad run through the order later.
Chasing 103, India never looked back. Verma raced to 28 inside four overs while Mandhana played the calmer hand, and by the time the stand was broken at 96, only formalities remained. India got home in 8.5 overs, sealing the series with a game to spare.
Why Both Teams Wore Black Armbands
Before the first match of the series, players from both sides and the match officials took the field wearing black armbands and observed a minute’s silence ahead of the national anthems. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) explained the gesture in a post on X: the teams were paying tribute to Sarah Dambanevana, a former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire who died recently.
The first T20I in Raipur on Friday also carried weight beyond the result. It was the first women’s T20 international ever played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, and thousands of spectators turned up to watch it.
The First Match Was Anything But Comfortable
India’s eventual series-clinching margin in game two made for a tidy headline, but the opener told a different story. Zimbabwe, playing their first-ever bilateral series against India in any format and on their first tour of the country, posted 114 for 5 after being asked to bat first by Mandhana, who won the toss and opted to bowl in her first match leading the side in this series.
Opener Kelis Ndhlovu anchored the innings with an unbeaten 42 off 40 balls, and Sharne Mayers gave the total late impetus with an unbeaten 43, striking four fours and two sixes in the final overs. Nandini Sharma was India’s most successful bowler with two wickets.
Then came the wobble. India’s top order collapsed to 19 for 4 inside the powerplay: Mandhana fell for 9, Verma for 4, Anushka Sharma for 4 and Harmanpreet Kaur for 1. With the chase of 115 threatening to slip away, Deepti Sharma and Nandini rebuilt. Deepti made 49 off 37 balls with eight fours, and Nandini finished 39 not out off 35 deliveries with six boundaries, dragging India to 116 for 6 in 15.4 overs — a four-wicket win with 26 balls to spare.
For Verma, the first match was a rare quiet evening. The second was anything but, and the contrast is exactly why her name was trending across Indian search charts through the weekend.
Mandhana’s Captaincy Run Continues
This series is Mandhana’s first bilateral assignment as India’s regular captain against Zimbabwe, and the results have stacked up quickly: a four-wicket win in the opener, a nine-wicket rout in the second, and a 2-0 lead that no result in the final game can overturn. India made no changes to their playing XI for the second T20I, keeping faith with the same eleven that survived the first-match scare.
Zimbabwe, for their part, have shown flashes — Ndhlovu’s composure in the first game, Mugeri-Tiripano’s 34 in the second — but their batting has not yet produced a total that could genuinely pressure this Indian lineup.
What’s Left: The Third T20I on 20 October
The third and final T20I will be played at the same Raipur venue on 20 October, starting at 7 PM. With the series already decided, the match becomes a chance for India to complete a clean sweep and for Zimbabwe to salvage a consolation win in what is, remarkably, their first tour of India.
For Verma, it is also a chance to back up her Player-of-the-Match performance with another one. Her first-match failure and second-match fireworks bookend the series so far, and with the World Cup cycle never far from the conversation around India’s top order, a 24-ball fifty is the kind of statement that tends to travel beyond a bilateral series against a debutant opponent.
FAQ
Why did India and Zimbabwe women wear black armbands in Raipur?
Players from both teams and the match officials wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence in memory of Sarah Dambanevana, a former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire who died recently. The BCCI confirmed the tribute in a post on X.
How did Shafali Verma perform in the 2nd T20I against Zimbabwe?
Shafali Verma scored an unbeaten 55 off 24 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes, and was named Player of the Match as India won by nine wickets. She also bowled one over in the match.
What is the state of the India Women vs Zimbabwe Women T20I series?
India lead the three-match series 2-0 after winning the first T20I by four wickets and the second by nine wickets, both at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The third and final match is on 20 October at 7 PM.
Is this Zimbabwe Women's first tour of India?
Yes. According to reports from the series, this is the first time the Zimbabwe women’s team is playing India in international cricket in any format, and it is also their first tour of India.