India Women Aim for Series Sweep Against Zimbabwe in Final T20I

India Women Opt to Bat First in Decisive T20I

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 20: In the third and final T20I of the series against Zimbabwe Women, India Women won the toss and chose to bat first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Tuesday.

Having already clinched the series with a 2-0 lead, following victories by four wickets in the first match and nine wickets in the second, the Women in Blue are now focused on achieving a clean sweep in the final encounter.

After the toss, captain Smriti Mandhana explained that the decision to bat first was made to provide the middle-order players with more opportunities to play.

“We will bat first today as we want more game time for the middle order. In T20 cricket, we have to play positively. I don’t have a specific target, but we are aiming for over 180,” Mandhana stated.

She also mentioned that Sree Charani would be resting for this match, with Prema Rawat stepping into the playing XI.

Emphasizing India's strong batting lineup, Mandhana noted, “With players like Shafali, we can expect more sixes.”

On the other hand, Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo expressed her team's desire to bat first as well, anticipating that the playing conditions would remain stable.

“We were looking to bat first. I don’t think the conditions will change much, and we aim to perform well during the power-plays. We are focusing on rotating the strike and playing positively,” Nkomo said.

She highlighted the need for ongoing improvement, stating, “Hard work and a willingness to learn from every game are essential. We want to excel in all formats.”

With the series outcome already determined, India seeks to keep their winning streak alive, while Zimbabwe aims to secure a consolation victory in the series finale.

Teams:

Zimbabwe Women (Playing XI): Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Sharne Mayers, Josephine Nkomo(c), Nyasha Gwanzura, Modester Mupachikwa(w), Kudzai Chigora, Loryn Phiri, Tendai Makusha, Nomvelo Sibanda

India Women (Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana(c), Anushka Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Niki Prasad, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Prema Rawat.