Harmanpreet Kaur hit 91 off 41 in her first big innings since giving up the captaincy, and India swept Zimbabwe 3-0
Shafali Verma’s 69 helped India to 216 for 7 in Raipur, and Zimbabwe finished 92 runs short in the third T20I.
Oct 21, 2026
Harmanpreet Kaur’s first series since giving up the India captaincy had brought her a single-figure score and a night watching from the dugout. On Tuesday in Raipur she came in at No. 4 in the eighth over and was still there at the end, 91 not out off 41 balls.
India made 216 for 7. Zimbabwe got to 124 for 7 and lost by 92 runs, which gave India the three-match series 3-0.
A slow start, then Chigora paid for it
It did not look like her night at the start. Harmanpreet took a few overs to find her timing, and then Kudzai Chigora came on and paid for it: Chigora’s three overs cost 40. Harmanpreet reached fifty off 25 balls and kept going after Shafali Verma fell.
The overs simply ran out before a hundred could come. She hit 10 fours and five sixes.
Harmanpreet is 37 and stepped down as captain on 6 October, with Smriti Mandhana taking over. She went cheaply in the first T20I and did not get a bat in the second. Afterwards she sounded more relieved than anything. “I don’t think there is any pressure anymore,” she said at the presentation. “I think now it’s all about enjoying myself on the field.”
Shafali’s series, and a reshuffled top order
Mandhana won the toss and batted first to give the middle order some overs, and she did not bat herself. The result was hardly in doubt against this Zimbabwe side. What India wanted from the night was batting time, and Harmanpreet took most of it. Anushka Sharma, who had been at No. 3, opened with Shafali and made 28 off 20 before she was caught by Nyasha Gwanzura with the opening stand on 54. Niki Prasad went for 9.
Shafali did not slow down. She got to fifty off 26 balls and made 69 off 37 with five sixes, and she and Harmanpreet added 84 for the third wicket. It was her 23rd T20I fifty and her ninth of 2026, and she was named player of the series.
India did lose their way a little at the end. Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy all went cheaply, and Beloved Biza finished with 3 for 50.
Mayers held Zimbabwe together, briefly
Kranti Gaud took a wicket with the first ball of the chase, Kelis Ndhlovu slicing to Prasad, and Nandani Sharma had Modester Mupachikwa caught behind in the second over. Zimbabwe were 12 for 2.
Sharne Mayers and Biza put on 82, but they did it slowly. Zimbabwe were 62 for 2 after ten overs and needed more than 15 an over from there. Mayers made 60 off 49 with four sixes before she was caught by Shafali off Prasad in the 15th over. Biza made 44 off 50, and Nandani took two wickets in the last over to finish with 3 for 18.
Mandhana liked what she saw from the extra bowlers, with Prasad and Shafali both getting overs. “The more the merrier,” she said.