India Women completed a dominant 3-0 series sweep against Zimbabwe Women with a commanding 92-run victory in the third and final T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Tuesday.
Harmanpreet Kaur delivered a spectacular unbeaten 91 off 41 balls to power India to 216/7 before the bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 124/7 in their 20 overs. Shafali Verma also made a significant contribution with an attacking 69, while Nandani Sharma led the bowling effort with three wickets.
Shafali and Anushka Provide an Aggressive Start
After winning the toss and electing to bat, India made an encouraging start through Shafali Verma and Anushka Sharma. The opening pair added 54 runs before Anushka departed for 28 off 20 balls, having struck four boundaries and a six.
Shafali continued to attack Zimbabwe’s bowlers, finding the boundary regularly and maintaining the scoring rate. She scored 69 from 37 deliveries, including six fours and five sixes, before being dismissed in the 15th over.
India reached 152/3 after Shafali’s departure, leaving the middle order well placed to accelerate during the closing overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur Produces a Late-Innings Masterclass
Harmanpreet took charge of the innings with an exceptional display of power-hitting. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 91 from just 41 balls, striking 10 fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 221.95.
She reached her half-century in 25 deliveries and continued to put pressure on Zimbabwe’s bowling attack. Despite losing wickets at the other end, Harmanpreet maintained the tempo and ensured India finished strongly.
Beloved Biza was Zimbabwe’s most successful bowler, claiming three wickets, while Nomvelo Sibanda, Nyasha Gwanzura and Tendai Makusha also made contributions with the ball.
India finished on 216/7, setting Zimbabwe a challenging target of 217.
Zimbabwe Fall Short Despite Sharne Mayers’ Fifty
Zimbabwe struggled to keep pace with the required run rate and lost wickets at regular intervals. Sharne Mayers provided resistance with 60 off 49 balls, including four fours and four sixes, while Beloved Biza contributed 44 from 50 deliveries.
However, the visitors were unable to build a partnership substantial enough to threaten India’s total. Nandani Sharma claimed three wickets, while Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy and Deepti Sharma picked up one each.
Zimbabwe finished on 124/7 in 20 overs, falling 92 runs short of the target.
India Complete a Clean Sweep
The victory capped an emphatic series for India Women, who won all three T20Is against Zimbabwe. Harmanpreet’s explosive innings and the bowlers’ disciplined performance ensured the hosts finished the series in commanding fashion.
IND W vs ZIM W, 3rd T20I: Match Summary
India Women: 216/7 (20 overs)
Harmanpreet Kaur: 91* (41 balls)
Shafali Verma: 69 (37 balls)
Beloved Biza: 3 wickets
Zimbabwe Women: 124/7 (20 overs)
Sharne Mayers: 60 (49 balls)
Beloved Biza: 44 (50 balls)
Nandani Sharma: 3 wickets
Result: India Women won by 92 runs.
Series result: India Women won the three-match T20I series 3-0.
