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IND vs ZIM, 1st T20I: Deepti, Niki star as India begins Smriti captaincy era with nervy win

India’s T20I campaign under Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy kicked off with a tense victory over Zimbabwe in Raipur, as a late-order partnership between Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad turned the match around. Zimbabwe, batting first, posted 114 for five thanks to steady innings from Kelis Ndhlovu and Sharne Mayers, who anchored the top order before a sharp Indian bowling spell reduced them to 19 for four in the chase.

Zimbabwe’s openers, including Mandhana, Shafali Varma, and Anushka Sharma, fell quickly to Nyasha Gwanzura and Michelle Mavunga’s early new-ball spell, but Sharma and Prasad’s 82-run stand—featuring aggressive boundary-hitting from Sharma and composed strokeplay from Prasad—pulled India back into contention. The duo nearly sealed the win before Sharma’s dismissal left India needing just 15 more runs, which Prasad finished off with a crucial straight drive.

Nandni Sharma’s two wickets for 11 and N. Sree Charani’s economical spell were key to India’s bowling effort, while Zimbabwe’s middle-order recovery had set the stage for a dramatic finish.

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