Pratika Rawal struck an unbeaten century and Shafali Verma produced a half-century as India Women defeated Zimbabwe Women by nine wickets in the opening ODI at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on October 23, 2026.
N Shree Charani claimed four wickets and Kranti Gaud took three as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 197. India then raced to 200 for 1 in just 27.1 overs, completing the chase with 22.5 overs remaining.
Rawal anchored the innings with 100 not out from 96 deliveries, while Shafali smashed an unbeaten 64 off 33 balls to secure a convincing start to Smriti Mandhana’s tenure as full-time ODI captain.
India Women vs Zimbabwe Women: First ODI Match Summary
| Match detail | Result |
|---|---|
| Match | India Women vs Zimbabwe Women, 1st ODI |
| Date | October 23, 2026 |
| Venue | Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara |
| Zimbabwe Women | 197 all out |
| India Women | 200/1 in 27.1 overs |
| Result | India won by nine wickets |
| Balls remaining | 137 |
| Leading batter | Pratika Rawal – 100* |
| Leading bowler | N Shree Charani – 4/23 |
Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud Restrict Zimbabwe to 197
Zimbabwe elected to bat after winning the toss but struggled to build substantial partnerships against India’s bowling attack. Kranti Gaud provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Loryn Phiri early in the innings.
The Indian seamer surprised Phiri with a short delivery, inducing a top-edged pull before completing a diving catch off her own bowling.
Modester Mupachikwa and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano attempted to rebuild, capitalising on loose deliveries to take Zimbabwe to 46 for 1 after the first ten overs.
Mupachikwa initially looked comfortable, reaching 24 off 31 balls.
She also benefited from a dropped catch when Deepti Sharma failed to hold a chance off debutant Jintimani Kalita. However, India’s spinners gradually tightened their control.
Mupachikwa struggled to maintain her scoring rate against Shree Charani and Deepti before miscuing an attacking shot to mid-off.
She departed for 25 off 43 deliveries.
Beloved Biza Scores 62 as Zimbabwe Fight Back
Beloved Biza provided the main resistance for Zimbabwe, scoring 62 and holding the middle order together. She continued to rotate the strike and added 43 runs with Nyasha Gwanzura, who eventually struck a delivery straight back to Shree Charani.
Zimbabwe slipped to 140 for 6 at the beginning of the 36th over, putting them in danger of finishing well below 200.
Michelle Mavunga then provided some late momentum with an aggressive 29 off 23 balls. She attacked from the beginning of her innings, lofting her first delivery over extra cover and later dispatching a slower ball from Sayali Satghare over deep midwicket.
However, Shree Charani ended Mavunga’s resistance when Kalita completed a catch at long-on.
Biza reached her fourth ODI half-century during the innings. At 17 years and 291 days, she became the second-youngest woman to score an ODI fifty against India, behind England’s Sarah Taylor.
Her innings ended when she attempted to accelerate against Gaud and was caught at cover.
Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 197.
Shree Charani finished with figures of 4 for 23, her first four-wicket haul in international cricket, while Gaud returned 3 for 42.
Rawal and Mandhana Put On 94 for Opening Wicket
India began their chase aggressively, with Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana immediately putting Zimbabwe’s bowlers under pressure. Mandhana was leading India in an ODI for the first time since becoming the team’s permanent captain.
Zimbabwe were without Josephine Nkomo, who missed the match because of a minor injury. Her replacement, Nomvelo Sibanda, struggled with her line and repeatedly delivered onto the batters’ pads.
India took advantage of the loose bowling, racing to 48 without loss after five overs. Zimbabwe’s spinners subsequently reduced the flow of boundaries, but the opening partnership continued to grow.
Rawal, who had raced to 37 off 29 balls, adopted a more measured approach and reached her half-century from 54 deliveries.
Rawal and Mandhana added 94 runs for the first wicket before Mandhana attempted to attack legspinner Olinder Chare and was caught at long-on. That dismissal brought Shafali Verma to the crease with India requiring another 104 runs for victory.
Shafali Verma Smashes 64 Off 33 Balls
Batting at No. 3 for only the second time in her ODI career, Shafali immediately increased India’s scoring rate. Despite arriving after the first ten overs, when fielding restrictions were no longer in place, she attacked Zimbabwe’s bowlers with confidence.
Shafali reached her half-century from just 29 deliveries. She was particularly aggressive against Chare, scoring 43 runs from 19 balls faced against the legspinner.
Her attacking approach quickly reduced India’s required runs, leaving Rawal with limited opportunities to complete her century.
With Rawal on 89 and India needing another 32 runs, Shafali struck three sixes in an over from Chare that cost 20 runs.
The explosive innings put India within touching distance of victory.
Rawal Completes Third ODI Century
Rawal maintained her composure despite Shafali’s rapid scoring at the other end. She reached her third ODI hundred in the 27th over, striking consecutive boundaries against Tendai Makusha.
The opener finished unbeaten on 100 off 96 deliveries, combining an aggressive start with controlled batting through the middle overs.
Shafali then completed the chase by lofting offspinner Nyasha Gwanzura over her head.
India reached 200 for 1 after 27.1 overs, securing a nine-wicket victory with 137 balls remaining.
Rawal and Shafali shared an unbeaten 106-run partnership for the second wicket, taking India from 94 for 1 to 200 for 1.
Their contrasting approaches proved effective, with Rawal providing stability and Shafali accelerating the scoring rate.
Jintimani Kalita Makes India ODI Debut
The match also marked an important milestone for Jintimani Kalita, who made her international debut. Kalita became only the second woman from Assam to represent India in ODI cricket.
Although she did not claim a wicket, she contributed in the field by taking the catch that dismissed Mavunga.
Her debut added another emerging player to India’s squad as the world champions began their first ODI series in almost eight months.
India Make Winning Start Under Mandhana’s ODI Captaincy
The victory marked a successful beginning to Mandhana’s full-time ODI captaincy. India were playing only their second series since winning their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup in November 2025.
The match also took place on a changed surface at Kotambi Stadium, where the pitch had been converted from black soil to red soil since Mandhana led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second Women’s Premier League title earlier in 2026.
India adapted comfortably to the conditions.
Shree Charani and Gaud led the bowling effort, while Rawal and Shafali ensured the target was chased without significant difficulty.
The nine-wicket victory gave India a commanding start to the ODI series and demonstrated the team’s strength despite its lengthy absence from the format.
