India completed a 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe in the three-match women’s ODI series, winning the third and final game by eight wickets at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara. The series was Smriti Mandhana’s first as India’s full-time captain, and all three matches counted towards the ICC Women’s Championship 2025–29.
Vaishnavi Sharma takes maiden five-for
Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat, but had few answers to a tight Indian attack. Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma took 5/39 from her 10 overs, the first five-wicket haul of her career and her best figures so far.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 131 in 39.5 overs. Wicketkeeper Modester Mupachikwa made the top score of 37, and captain Josephine Nkomo added useful runs, but nobody could build the kind of partnership the visitors needed.
Rawal and Verma make light work of the chase
India needed 132 to win, and openers Pratika Rawal and Shafali Verma went after the bowling from the start. Verma hit 51 from just 26 balls. Rawal was more measured and finished unbeaten on 59 from 56.
India reached 133/2 in 17 overs, with 33 overs to spare, to seal the series sweep.
How the series was won
India set the tone in the first ODI by bowling Zimbabwe out for 197. Shree Charani led the attack with 4/23, and Rawal’s unbeaten 100 carried the hosts to 200/1 in 27.1 overs and a nine-wicket win.
The second match brought India’s biggest total of the series. Harmanpreet Kaur scored 126 and Deepti Sharma made an unbeaten 106 as India posted 328/6. Zimbabwe batted out their 50 overs but finished on 207, and India won by 121 runs.
Standout performers
Rawal was India’s best batter across the three games, with 220 runs including a century and two fifties. She was there at the end of both chases.
Vaishnavi finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with nine. Charani took five and kept the middle overs under control, giving Mandhana two young spinners she could rely on.
For Zimbabwe, Beloved Biza was the most consistent batter and made a fighting 62 in the opening game. Nkomo and Mupachikwa also offered resistance at times against a stronger side.
Championship points
The 3-0 result gives India six points in the ICC Women’s Championship and lifts them to seventh in the standings. Zimbabwe, playing in the Championship for the first time, remain 10th.
Mandhana’s first series in charge ended with three wins from three, centuries from three different batters and wickets shared between the younger spinners. India will look to carry that form into their next assignment as they try to climb further up the table.
