Vadodara, October 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma has revealed how she battled nervousness and sleepless nights before claiming her maiden five-wicket haul in One-Day Internationals, helping India beat Zimbabwe by eight wickets and complete a 3-0 series sweep.
The 20-year-old returned figures of 5/39 in 10 overs in the third ODI on Wednesday as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 131. Speaking in a video shared by the BCCI on Thursday, Vaishnavi said she drew confidence from her performances for India A and focused on executing the plans discussed with the coaching staff.
She admitted that sitting out the opening ODI had given her time to assess the opposition and consider how she could contribute. Even after getting an opportunity in the second match, she struggled with nerves.
“I couldn’t sleep well in the night. I was thinking a lot. I was visualising what I should do,” she said, explaining that she eventually calmed herself on the field and reminded herself to enjoy the game.
Vaishnavi also credited her performances against Australia A, where she claimed six wickets in one match and four in another, for boosting her confidence ahead of the international assignment.
The spinner said senior teammates, including Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Harleen Deol, constantly encouraged her during the Zimbabwe series.
The wait for her fifth wicket became increasingly tense, but it arrived in the final over when a Zimbabwe batter attempted a sweep and missed the ball, which went on to hit the stumps.
Vaishnavi described the dismissal as a “miracle wicket” and said the achievement was made more special by the team’s collective effort.
India’s victory completed a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series, following an identical 3-0 triumph in the preceding T20I series against Zimbabwe.
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