Pratika Rawal’s century crushes Zimbabwe in historic ODI as India take 1-0 series lead

Brief Results: India Women (201/1 in 27.1 overs) defeated Zimbabwe Women (197 in 49.5 overs) by 9 wickets in Vadodara.

Highlighting | Scorecard

Marking her return to the limelight from an injury-riddled spell, Pratika Rawal smashed her third ODI century as India crushed Zimbabwe by nine wickets in their first-ever women’s ODI at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Friday. The emphatic win gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

After battling injuries over the last 12 months, Rawal rose to the occasion with an impressive knock to guide India to a target of 198 with 22.5 overs to spare. While the opener stole the show with the bat, Shree Charani sealed victory with a career-best bowling performance to keep Zimbabwe at bay.

It was another memorable outing for Smriti Mandhana as India’s full-time captain, with the team recording their fourth straight win under her leadership.

Shafali Verma with winning runs for #TeamIndia with an all-round show in Vadodara to take the #INDvZIM ODI series 1-0 Scorecard @mflone_ BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 23, 2026

CHARANI LEADS THE INDIAN BOWLING CHARGE

Shree Charani got her career best ODI figures. Courtesy: BCCI Women

India wasted little time in asserting their authority after being asked to bat first, striking at regular intervals to prevent Zimbabwe from building momentum. Kranti Gaud provided the opening breakthrough by dismissing Kelise Ndhlova before Charani struck twice to remove Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and Modester Mupachikwa.

Deepti Sharma tightened the screws with a disciplined spell, dismissing Sharne Mayers and adding to Zimbabwe’s mounting woes. With wickets falling at one end and the scoring rate in check, the visitors looked to build a solid platform.

However, Charani was an excellent artist. The left-arm spider kept the batsmen guessing with his accuracy and variation, returning career-best ODI figures of 4 for 23 in 10 overs, including three maidens. Her spell ensured that Zimbabwe could not post a more challenging total for the hosts.

The match also marked the Indian debut of Jintimani Kalita. The Assam pacer received his maiden cap from Harmanpreet Kaur and produced a disciplined performance, conceding just 23 runs in five overs, despite failing to pick up a wicket.

BIZA FIGHTS FOR ZIMBABWE

With Zimbabwe struggling to find their footing, 17-year-old Beloved Biza has emerged as a bright spot for the visitors. The junior showed impressive composure to score 62 off 92 balls, including five fours, holding the innings together as wickets fell around her.

Biza found valuable support from Michelle Mavunga, who injected some urgency into the innings with a blistering 29. Their effort offered Zimbabwe a chance to recover from a difficult middle phase, but India quickly gained control.

Gaud dismissed Mavunga before ending Biza’s resistance, dealing the decisive blow to Zimbabwe’s hopes of a late bloomer. The visitors’ task was made more difficult by the absence of captain Josephine Nkomo, who missed the match due to a concussion.

Deepti ended the innings by bowling Tendai Makusha in the final over to leave India with a target that their batsmen would chase down with remarkable ease.

PRACTICE SETS THE TONE

Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal put on 94 runs for the opening wicket. Courtesy: BCCI Women

India’s response was emphatic from the start, with Rawal attacking the Zimbabwean bowlers and finding boundaries with ease. Her confident strokeplay ensured the home side pushed the required pace and put the visitors under pressure almost immediately.

Well written touches of class by Captain Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal Update #TeamIndia | #INDvWINTER | @mflone_ | @mandhana_smriti | @RawalPratika BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 23, 2026

Mandhana complemented her opening partner as the duo put together an impressive 94-run stand for the first wicket. As Rawal continued to look for gaps and punish flaws, the Indian skipper gradually increased the pace to keep the chase firmly on track.

Zimbabwe finally found a breakthrough when Mandhana tried to field Olinder Chare but was caught at long-on by Biza for 32. The dismissal lifted the visitors briefly but the damage was already done. Rawal was well prepared and India’s commanding start left Zimbabwe little room for a comeback.

SHAFALI JOINS THE PARTY

Any hopes of a Zimbabwean revival were quickly dashed when Shafali Verma joined Rawal to turn the chase into a one-sided contest. The pair combined Rawal’s assured stroke play with Shafali’s explosive batting, leaving the bowlers with few answers.

Shafali wasted little time shifting gears, took on the spinners and raced to her half-century off just 29 balls. Her fearless approach kept the pressure on Zimbabwe as India neared the finish line.

Boundaries to hit memorable STOs Pratika Rawal does in fine fashion Update #TeamIndia | #INDvWINTER | @mflone_ | @RawalPratika BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) October 23, 2026

At the other end, Rawal remained composed and continued to choose moments to attack. With a century within reach, she smashed back-to-back Tendai Makusha boundaries to bring up her third ODI hundred in a memorable performance.

Shafali then finished the job in style, hitting a boundary down the ground from Nyasha Gwanzura. She remained unbeaten on 64 off 33 balls, with five fours and four sixes, while Rawal made his mark on 100 not out from 96 deliveries, hitting 15 fours.

The emphatic win gave Mandhana another reason to celebrate her start as full-time captain, but the day belonged to Rawal, whose century led India to an impressive victory in the historic competition. With the series lead secured, India will look to build on the momentum when the second ODI takes place on Sunday, October 25.

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