It was not quite the baptism by fire that Smriti Mandhana expected in her first match as full-time captain, but India overcame a scare to beat Zimbabwe by four wickets and 26 balls to spare in the first women's T20I in Raipur.

After restricting Zimbabwe to 114 for 5, grossly under-par for the conditions at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium hosting its first women's international, India found themselves 19 for 4 in the first 19 balls of the chase. Offspinner Nyasha Gwanzura accounted for India's new captain, vice-captain Shafali Verma and new No. 3 Anushka Sharma in an opening spell for the ages.

But Niki Prasad, on T20I debut, and Deepti Sharma ensured that India's home season started on the right note. Interestingly, Prasad had played a similar knock on her WPL debut in 2025 with Delhi Capitals in trouble when she walked in, and walked out with a Player-of-the-Match award.

India took 14 runs off the opening over bowled by Tendai Makusha to get their 115-run chase underway in top gear. Mandhana heaved a short ball over midwicket before getting a toe-end to deep third, where Sharne Mayers misfielded. When Shafali ended the over with a crisp drive through cover-point, it looked as if India would make easy work of the paltry ask.

Zimbabwe brought on offspin against Mandhana, like most teams do in T20Is these days, and were quickly rewarded, even if it wasn't a wicket-taking ball. Gwanzura bowler her first ball short on middle, and Mandhana could take hit wherever she wanted. But she only managed a top-edge when she rocked back to pull it over square leg and Makusha took it safely in the ring. A ball after Anusha cut a shortish ball through point, Gwanzura had her reaching out to a flighted ball and slice it to backward point.

Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur then whipped a full length ball on leg straight to midwicket off Michelle Mavunga, who bowls with a slingy action. When Gwanzura had Shafali caught off her own bowling at the start of the fourth over, it looked as if the wheels of India's run-chase might truly come off.

Prasad began her stint as an India batter with four dot balls after walking in at 19 for 3, having earlier received her cap from Mandhana. Soon, in Deepti's company, she started to find her feet. Prasad was happy to bide her time and rotate the strike, letting her senior partner take charge. Deepti heaved Mavunga, who started with a wicket-maiden, over forward square leg before hitting two fours off Gwanzura, who bowled the last over of the powerplay.

Prasad then showed why she is rated highly as a batter, continuing her form from the India A series against Australia A earlier this month. She creamed Francisca Chipare through midwicket for her first four in internationals before timing a punched drive through extra cover. That second shot had no extravagance. It was just a mere transfer of weight forward against the length ball, where she waited a little extra before push-driving it between mid-off and covers. When Deepti and Prasad combined to take 15 from the 10th over bowled by legspinner Olinder Chare, India were well and truly back in the driver's seat.

Deepti then took a liking to Mavunga, hitting her for three fours in an over as she eyed a fifty. But she only top-edged an attempted sweep to short fine leg. India also lost Richa Ghosh soon, when she fell two balls after hitting a six against offspinner Beloved Biza. But Prasad ensured that she stayed till the finish to see India through.

After being asked to bat in their first-ever international outing against India, Zimbabwe were rocked when Kranti Gaud trapped Biza lbw in the opening over. Opener Kelis Ndhlovu then kept them ticking over by finding boundaries regularly. She seldom missed out on the width that Gaud provided while also using the sweep against Shafali and Deepti. In wicketkeeper Modester Mupachikwa's company, she added 53.

But after the drinks break, N Shree Charani had Mupachikwa caught and bowled. Sharne Mayers then walked out with intent, even as Ndhlovu missed and mistimed a few at the other end. Mayers lofted Deepti over mid-off before hitting Shafali over long-on for half a dozen. Arundhati Reddy then seemed to have Ndhlovu caught by Prasad running in from long-off. But the TV umpire ruled that the ball had touched the ground and called Ndhlovu, who had already walked off, back. A ball later, though, Reddy had her bowled for 42 with a dipping full toss.

Mayers took on Reddy in the 18th over, hitting her for a six and two back-to-back fours that took Zimbabwe past 100. Nandani Sharma then took two wickets in two balls in the last over to restrict Zimbabwe to a total that wasn't enough for a fight, even if they tried to make a fist of it.