Shafali Verma struck 55 off 25 balls as India beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the second women's T20I in Raipur on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The result gave the hosts an unassailable lead in the three-match series, which they have now clinched.
Zimbabwe won the toss, chose to bat and finished on 102/8 in their 20 overs. Chipo Mugeri‑Tiripano top‑scored with 34, while captain Josephine Nkomo remained unbeaten on 27. Niki Prasad was India's best bowler, taking 2/7 from her two overs.
India reached 104/1 in 8.5 overs, winning with 67 balls remaining. They scored 76/0 in the powerplay, with Shafali on 46 off 20 balls and captain Smriti Mandhana on 29. Shafali reached her fifty from 24 balls.
Shafali hit six fours and four sixes before falling to Beloved Biza, who finished with 1/9. The opening stand was worth 96 runs. Mandhana stayed not out on 47 off 25 balls, with six fours and two sixes, and Shafali was named player of the match.
Shafali now has 111 sixes in women's T20Is for India, two more than Mandhana's record. Speaking after the match, Shafali explained her approach: "In 2025, when I was back at home, I was thinking about what I can improve. Consistency was one of those things and I analysed the Australian batters to see what they were doing to try and improve".
Zimbabwe captain Nkomo was full of praise for the home side. "I thought that was a batting masterclass by the Indian team. We just stood there and watched," she said.
India had won the first T20I in Raipur on Friday by four wickets. The chase on Sunday avoided a repeat of India's top‑order collapse in that opening match. Shafali was made vice‑captain of the T20I side for this series.
The third and final T20I will also be played in Raipur on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. With the series already decided, the match will be the last of the three‑game contest between India and Zimbabwe.
