Raipur, 21 October 2026: India captain Smriti Mandhana says her side’s bowling options are taking shape for the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy after India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep of Zimbabwe with a 92-run win in Raipur on Tuesday.
The six-team Champions Trophy will be played in India in February 2027, and Mandhana used the Zimbabwe series to try out her attack. She used six bowlers in the final match.
“It is looking good for sure,” Mandhana said of her bowling options. She added that she was “really happy and pleased” with the contributions of Niki Prasad and Shafali Verma, and said that when it came to bowlers, “the more the merrier”.
She also expects dew to be a factor in the matches between now and the Champions Trophy.
Harmanpreet’s unbeaten 91 finishes the job
Harmanpreet Kaur made the biggest impact with the bat in the series finale. The 37-year-old hit an unbeaten 91 from 41 balls, with 10 fours and five sixes.
It was her first major innings since she handed the captaincy to Mandhana earlier this month, and she said the change had freed her up.
“I don’t think there is any pressure anymore,” Harmanpreet said. “I just want to enjoy my batting.”
Young bowlers lead the way
India’s bowlers were in control throughout the series. Nandani Sharma finished as the leading wicket-taker with six wickets, while Kranti Gaud and Niki Prasad took three each.
Nandani’s work in the first two matches, including two for 11 in the opener, had already lifted her 26 places to 45th in the ICC women’s T20I bowling rankings. Kranti climbed nine places to 43rd.
A memorable start for Niki Prasad
The series was also a breakthrough for 20-year-old Niki Prasad, the off-spinner who captained India to the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup title in 2025. She made an unbeaten 39 on debut in the first match, helping India recover from 19 for four in a chase of 115 with an 82-run stand alongside Deepti Sharma.
In the second match she took wickets with her first two balls in international cricket and finished with two for seven.
Shafali sets the tone
Shafali Verma, the T20I vice-captain, hit 55 from 25 balls in the second match and stays fourth in the T20I batting rankings. She was also given an official reprimand for throwing the ball into the ground after dropping a catch in that game.
Series results
- First T20I, 16 October, Raipur: India won by four wickets
- Second T20I, 18 October, Raipur: India won by nine wickets
- Third T20I, 20 October, Raipur: India won by 92 runs
What comes next
The two teams now move to Vadodara for a three-match ODI series. With the Champions Trophy four months away, Mandhana will use those matches to keep building the squad she wants for the home tournament.
