Raipur, October 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India Women won the toss and elected to bat against Zimbabwe in the third T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Tuesday. India have already clinched the three-match series by winning the first two matches and will now aim for a clean sweep.
India captain Smriti Mandhana said the decision to bat first was aimed at giving the middle order more time in the middle, with the team targeting a total of 180-plus.
“In T20 cricket, we have to play positively, and I don’t have a number in mind, but we are looking at 180-plus,” Mandhana said.
She confirmed that Sree Charani had been rested for the match, with Prema Rawat coming into the playing XI. Mandhana also expressed hope that India would hit more sixes, with power-hitter Shafali Verma featuring in the line-up.
Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo said her team had wanted to bat first and make the most of the powerplays. She emphasised the importance of rotating the strike and maintaining an attacking approach.
“I don’t think the conditions will change much and we are looking to do well in the powerplays. We are trying to rotate the strike more and play positively,” Nkomo said.
She added that sustained improvement required hard work and a willingness to learn from every match, saying Zimbabwe were looking to perform consistently across all formats.
The T20I series will be followed by a three-match ODI series in Vadodara, scheduled for October 23, 26 and 28.
Playing XIs
India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana (c), Anushka Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Niki Prasad, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Prema Rawat.
Zimbabwe Women: Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Sharne Mayers, Josephine Nkomo (c), Nyasha Gwanzura, Modester Mupachikwa (wk), Kudzai Chigora, Loryn Phiri, Tendai Makusha, Nomvelo Sibanda.
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