Pratika Rawal struck an unbeaten century and Shafali Verma blazed an explosive 64 not out as World Champions India Women crushed Zimbabwe Women by nine wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara on 23 October 2026. India overhauled a target of 198 in just 27.1 overs, sealing one of their most commanding bilateral ODI victories in recent memory.

Rawal and Shafali's Dominant Chase

Rawal, opening the batting, set the tone immediately — cracking two boundaries in the very first over to put Zimbabwe's bowlers on the back foot. She reached her fourth ODI half-century off 54 balls and completed a composed century off 96 deliveries, finishing unbeaten on 100 off 96 with 15 boundaries. She received one reprieve when Loryn Phiri dropped her at deep mid-wicket in the 13th over, but Rawal made no mistake thereafter.

Captain Smriti Mandhana contributed a brisk 32 off 34 balls at the top of the order before being dismissed in the 16th over, ending a strong opening stand of 93 with Rawal. The loss of Mandhana barely slowed India's charge.

Shafali then walked in and immediately imposed herself, smashing a boundary off her third delivery. She raced to her half-century off just 29 balls, including consecutive sixes in the 26th over. She remained unbeaten on 64 off 34 balls, striking five fours and four sixes. India finished at 198/1 in 27.1 overs — Olinder Chare the only Zimbabwe bowler to take a wicket, going for 1/58.

India's Bowlers Set the Platform

Earlier, after Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, India's bowling unit delivered a disciplined effort to bundle out the visitors for 197 in 49.5 overs. Shree Charani was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with an impressive 4/23, while Kranti Gaud chipped in with 3/42. Deepti Sharma also contributed, dismissing Sharne Mayers cheaply in the 18th over.

Zimbabwe suffered an early blow when opener Loryn Phiri was caught and bowled by Gaud in the third over. A rebuilding effort by Mugeri-Tiripano and Modester Mupachikwa helped Zimbabwe reach 46/1 at the Powerplay, but Charani trapped Mugeri-Tiripano leg before the wicket for 21 and dismissed Mupachikwa for 25 in the 15th over to derail the recovery.

Zimbabwe's most resilient contributor was Beloved Biza, who top-scored with 62 off 92 balls, including four boundaries, and anchored the middle order with quiet determination. Michelle Mavunga, batting at No. 8, added a punchy 29 off 23 before Charani ended her resistance in the 43rd over. Deepti wrapped up the innings on the penultimate ball of the 49th over, ending Zimbabwe's stay at 197 all out.

Key Moments in the Zimbabwe Innings

Zimbabwe's innings had a familiar pattern: promising starts undone by consistent wicket bursts. The visitors crossed the 100-run mark in the 26th over through a partnership between Biza and Nyasha Gwanzura, but Charani broke the stand with a return catch to dismiss Gwanzura for 13. Biza found partial support in Chiedza Dhururu, before Gaud bowled Dhururu for 10, leaving Zimbabwe's lower order exposed. The last four wickets added fewer than 40 runs.

Series Context and What's Next

The result gives India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. As defending World Champions, India entered this series as heavy favourites, and this performance validated that billing emphatically — with their chase completed with 22.5 overs to spare. The second ODI is expected to follow shortly, with India's top-order depth and pace of bowling giving Zimbabwe little margin for optimism.

Brief Scores: Zimbabwe Women 197 all out in 49.5 overs (Beloved Biza 62, Michelle Mavunga 29; Shree Charani 4/23, Kranti Gaud 3/42) lost to India Women 198/1 in 27.1 overs (Pratika Rawal 100*, Shafali Verma 64*, Smriti Mandhana 32; Olinder Chare 1/58) by 9 wickets.