Raipur, October 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo praised India’s batting display as a “batting masterclass” after Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma powered the hosts to a nine-wicket victory in the second women’s T20I in Raipur on Sunday.
India chased down the target of 103 in just 8.5 overs, with Mandhana remaining unbeaten on 47 off 25 balls and Shafali smashing 55 off as many deliveries. Their 96-run opening partnership from just 47 balls helped India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
“I thought that was a batting masterclass by the Indian team. We just stood there and had to watch and learn, and there’s no better way to learn than actually experiencing the carnage that happened out there,” Nkomo said during the post-match presentation.
The partnership also produced significant milestones. Mandhana and Shafali became the first pair to score more than 1,000 runs together for any wicket in women’s T20Is in a calendar year.
Shafali, meanwhile, became the first woman cricketer to cross 900 runs in women’s T20Is in a single calendar year. She has accumulated 922 runs in 2026, moving ahead of South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, who has scored 824.
Zimbabwe struggled to build momentum with the bat after India’s bowlers restricted them to 102/8. The visitors managed only 20/1 in the powerplay and played 29 dot balls in the first six overs, the second-highest tally by a team in the powerplay of a women’s T20I in India.
Reflecting on her team’s batting, Nkomo said a poor start had made the chase difficult and stressed the need to establish a stronger foundation in the next match.
“The main difference today was we didn’t have a good start in the powerplay,” she said, expressing hope that Zimbabwe would improve their start and avoid putting excessive pressure on their bowlers.
Nkomo added that her team could learn from India’s approach at the crease and hoped to apply those lessons in the final match of the series.
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