IND-W vs ZIM-W

9:50 PM local time and IST: India have done their bit, and won a series for the first time under new captain Smriti Mandhana, with one match to go. But that match, here in Raipur again, is coming up on Tuesday, from 7:00 PM local time. Do be there to join us for it. This is Sourabh and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Shafali Verma (Player of the Match, 55 runs off 25 balls only): "Really happy with how I executed things! After the last game's dismissal, I couldn't sleep! But today, I got it right. In the last game, getting out the way I did, as a right-hander to an off-spinner, wasn't on. I tried to correct that, and make sure to play a big innings. My favourite shot was the one over cover against the pacer. In 2025, when I sat at home and thought about my game, I analyzed the opposition batters too, like the Australians. Since then, with every opportunity, things are falling in place." 

Smriti Mandhana (India captain): "It was a good win today! The bowlers executed their plans much better. The fielding could have been better though, an area we can be critical about. We had much better plans in place today, but the bowlers executed them. Shafali (Verma) was enjoying herself in the power play. I kept handing her the strike, and chipped in with my bit when the chance came. That's how we bat." 

Josephine Nkomo (Zimbabwe Women Captain): Thought that was a batting masterclass from the Indian team. We had to watch and learn, no better way to learn. The main difference today was that we did not have a good start in the powerplay. Let's just hope we have a good start in the next game to set up a foundation for the others to finish it off. Like I said earlier, a lot to learn. The best way is to watch and learn, hopefully we can take a leaf out of that.

9:26 PM local time and IST: India win by 9 wickets with 67 balls to spare, and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match series!

Shafali Verma 55 (25) | Niki Prasad - 2/7 (2)
Chipo Mugeri Tiripano 34 (32) | Beloved Biza - 1/9 (1)

It was a stutter to reach the finish lines in the first game, but this time, India made sure not to give themselves any hiccup! The runs got chased down in a jiffy, giving Zimbabwe, not even a sniff!

Shafali Verma did give the visitors a chance at deep mid-wicket early on in her innings, but Sharne Mayers failed to hold on! That spelt trouble for them, as the powerful right-hand bat, who is also in form, smashed her way to a half-century, delighting the crowd here in Raipur! She has also become the  first batter in women's T20Is in a calendar year to score 900 runs or more (922).

Skipper Smriti Mandhana wasn't too far behind, finishing with an unbeaten 47 at a strike rate of 188.0. The duo brought up yet another fifty-run stand for the opening wicket, in the process!

Zimbabwe managed to avoid a 10-wicket defeat, when Shafali failed to connect one cleanly and clear long-on. But apart from that, nothing went Josephine Nkomo's team's way!

It's 17 wins for India now in T20Is in 2026. That is a record in itself! 

8.5 Olinder Chare to Smriti Mandhana, GAME, SET AND MATCH FOR INDIA! Captain Smriti Mandhana hits a beautiful shot and seals the match as well as the series for her side. A little shimmy down the track outside off, maintains distance from the ball and hoists it with sublime timing wide of long-off and all the way. Smriti Mandhana finishes unbeaten on 47* and this is the first series win for India in the new regime, as clinical as expected.