Raipur: India Women capped off a dominant home series in style on Monday, crushing Zimbabwe by 92 runs in the third and final T20I at Raipur to complete a 3-0 clean sweep. The hosts posted a towering 216 for 7 before restricting the visitors to 124 for 7, underlining the gulf between the two sides across the series.
Put in to bat, India were powered by a blistering captain’s knock from Harmanpreet Kaur, who hammered an unbeaten 91 off just 41 balls, studded with 10 fours and 5 sixes. Her innings carried India past the 200-mark with ease and left Zimbabwe’s bowlers with no answers in the closing overs.
She found able company in Shafali Verma, who smashed 69 off 37 deliveries with 6 fours and 5 sixes, racing to her fifty in just 26 balls. The pair added an 84-run stand that knocked the wind out of the Zimbabwe attack, and India’s 216 for 7 always looked well beyond the visitors’ reach.
Zimbabwe’s reply never gathered momentum. Chasing a mountain, they managed 124 for 7 in their 20 overs, with Sharne Mayers’ fighting 60 the lone bright spot in an otherwise one-sided innings. The rest of the batting line-up struggled to rotate strike against a disciplined Indian attack.
Nandani Sharma was the pick of the Indian bowlers, finishing with three wickets, including two strikes in the final over that wrapped up the innings. Her spell sealed the victory margin at a hefty 92 runs — the biggest of the series.
Notably, stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana did not bat in the match, a luxury India could afford given the form of the rest of the order. The series sweep will please the team management ahead of a packed international calendar.
Harmanpreet’s unbeaten 91 was a masterclass in pacing a T20 innings — measured early, then merciless at the death — while Shafali’s 26-ball fifty set the tone from the outset. Between them, they struck 16 fours and 10 sixes, a boundary count that tells its own story.
The 3-0 result also highlighted India’s growing bench strength, with younger players stepping up alongside the established stars. India were ruthless with the bat right through the series, and their bowlers rarely let Zimbabwe settle — a complete team performance that will breed confidence in the dressing room.
For Zimbabwe, the tour of India was always going to be a steep learning curve. Facing one of the world’s leading sides in their own conditions is the fastest way to identify gaps, and the visitors will hope the experience sharpens them for their upcoming assignments in international cricket.
India will now shift focus to a busy international calendar, with the series sweep providing ideal momentum. With key players in form and the squad clicking as a unit, the hosts look well placed for the challenges ahead.
