Smriti Mandhana launched her captaincy era with a dominant series victory as India Women crushed Zimbabwe Women by nine wickets in the 2nd T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on 18 October 2026. Chasing a modest 103, the Women in Blue romped home in just 8.5 overs, with 67 balls to spare — setting a new record for the biggest win by balls remaining while chasing a 100-plus target in Women's T20I cricket.

Shafali and Mandhana Dismantle Zimbabwe

Shafali Verma blazed to 55 off 25 balls, reaching her fifty off just 24 deliveries with a six over deep mid-wicket in the eighth over before being dismissed on the very next ball. Mandhana, unbeaten on 47 off 25 balls, finished the chase with a six in the ninth over to seal the win. The pair put on a dominant opening stand that made the 103-run target look almost academic.

India went berserk in the powerplay, posting 76/0 after six overs. Mandhana was particularly severe on Nyasha Gwanzura, hammering four successive fours in the fifth over — an over that cost 21 runs. The two openers had blasted to 40/0 inside the first four overs, signalling that Zimbabwe's bowlers were in for a long evening.

India Set Record, Surpass Previous Best

This win was India's 17th T20I victory of the calendar year, surpassing their own previous best of 16, set in 2018. The record for biggest Women's T20I win by balls remaining while chasing 100-plus now belongs to India: the previous mark was held by West Indies Women, who had chased down 107 against Zimbabwe Women in Harare with 65 balls in hand. India bettered that by two balls.

Niki Prasad Stars with the Ball

Earlier in the match, Niki Prasad continued her remarkable start to international cricket. The off-spinner picked up 2 wickets for 7 runs in her two overs, dismissing two batters on consecutive balls to come agonisingly close to a hat-trick — only an LBW appeal that missed leg-stump denied her. Notably, Prasad has now become the first Indian women's cricketer to take a wicket off her very first ball in T20I cricket, having also starred with an unbeaten 39 in the first match.

The Zimbabwe innings was further dismantled by Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Deepti Sharma, and Sree Charani, each claiming a wicket. Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano top-scored for Zimbabwe with 34, while Josephine Nkomo contributed 27, but the visitors were ultimately restricted to 102/8 in 20 overs — below the 114/5 they had posted in the first T20I.

Series Sealed, One Match Still to Play

India now hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The third and final T20I is scheduled for 20 October at the same venue, with the Women in Blue eyeing a clean sweep. This series marks a new chapter for Indian women's cricket, with Mandhana at the helm and a settled batting unit already firing at full throttle.

Brief Scores: Zimbabwe Women 102/8 in 20 overs (Mugeri-Tiripano 34, Nkomo 27; Prasad 2/7, Deepti 1/13) lost to India Women 103/1 in 8.5 overs (Shafali Verma 55, Mandhana 47*; Beloved Biza 1/9) by nine wickets.