India debutant Niki Prasad took wickets with her first two balls in international cricket as the hosts beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the second women's T20I at Raipur on 18 October 2026. The result sealed the series. The 21-year-old right-arm off-spinner finished with 2/7 in two overs and was India's most successful bowler, while Zimbabwe, who chose to bat, were held to 102/8.
Prasad had Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano caught behind off her first delivery in international cricket. Mugeri-Tiripano had made 34 off 32 balls and was the highest scorer in the Zimbabwe innings. With the very next ball, Prasad trapped Nyasha Gwanzura lbw for a golden duck, leaving the visitors on 75/5. She is the first Indian player to take wickets with her first two T20I deliveries.
Zimbabwe won the toss and batted first, but they never built a total that threatened India. Captain Josephine Nkomo finished unbeaten on 27, and Mugeri-Tiripano top-scored with 34 before Prasad removed her. Kranti Gaud also contributed with the ball, taking 1/15 in her four overs. The innings closed on 102/8, a modest target for an India batting line-up in fine touch.
India needed only 8.5 overs to chase 103, finishing on 104/1. Shafali Verma made 55 off 25 balls, and captain Smriti Mandhana was unbeaten on 47, which also came off 25 balls. Their rapid partnership ended the contest early and gave India the win, and with it the series, with one match of the three-game T20I series still to be played.
Prasad had made her debut in the first T20I on Friday 16 October, receiving her cap from Mandhana, who was playing her first match as India's full-time captain. She did not bowl, but she hit an unbeaten 39 off 35 balls, including six fours. She added 82 with Deepti Sharma, who made 49, after India lost their top four for 19 chasing 115. India won by four wickets, finishing on 116/6 in 15.4 overs.
Prasad arrived in the senior side in strong form. Against Australia A she hit an unbeaten 54 in a T20, and in a one-day game she took four wickets and scored 76 off 71 balls. In the unofficial Test she made 91 in the first innings and took 7 for 77 across the two innings. She has played for Delhi Capitals in the WPL, who signed her for INR 10 lakhs before WPL 2025 and retained her for the following season. In all T20 cricket she has 653 runs at an average of 28.39, and 11 wickets at an economy of 6.81.
The third and final T20I is at Raipur today, Tuesday 20 October, starting at 7pm local time. Jemimah Rodrigues is missing from the series as she recovers from a hamstring injury. The matches against Zimbabwe are part of India's preparation for the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be held in India in February next year, with two ODIs at Vadodara to follow the T20Is.
