Debutant Nikki Prasad, Deepti Sharma set India record in four-wicket win over Zimbabwe

India won the first T20 of the women's series against Zimbabwe in Raipur by four wickets. The win gives India a 1-0 lead in the series. Deepti Sharma and debutant Nikki Prasad played major roles in the victory.

Zimbabwe batted first and set India a target of 116. India reached it in 15.4 overs, losing six wickets. In the same match, Nikki Prasad and Deepti Sharma also set a new batting record.

Against Zimbabwe in Raipur, the two added 82 runs for the fifth or a lower wicket, a record for the India women's T20 side. The earlier record belonged to Mithali Raj and Anuja Patil, who made 77 runs against Sri Lanka in Ranchi in 2016. That 10-year-old record has now been broken. The two set the new mark while steadying the team in a crisis.

Veteran all-rounder Deepti Sharma was named player of the match. Her performance was excellent throughout the game. When India's top order collapsed like a house of cards, Deepti came in and played calmly. She propped up the innings in a difficult phase and kept up the pressure on the opposition bowlers. Deepti scored 49 off 37 balls, including eight fours. She also bowled a miserly spell, conceding only 22 runs in her four overs, though she did not take a wicket.

Young Nikki Prasad, playing her first international match, also won hearts. With the team under the most pressure, she batted calmly and pulled it out of trouble. Nikki remained not out, playing a restrained innings of 39 off 35 balls, and finished the match with a boundary. India thus reached the target in 15.4 overs for the loss of six wickets.

The second T20 between the two teams will be played at the same ground on October 18.