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Harmanpreet, Shafali and Nandani help India complete emphatic sweep
harmanpreet-hammered-91-off-just-41-balls
harmanpreet-hammered-91-off-just-41-balls

Harmanpreet Kaur's unbeaten 91 off 41 balls and Shafali Verma's 69 helped India post a gargantuan 216 for 7 before Nandani Sharma took a three-fer to restrict Zimbabwe to just 124 in the third T20I in Raipur on Tuesday (October 20). The 92-run victory completed a 3-0 series sweep and gave India their biggest-ever winning margin at home in women's T20Is.

India's total after electing to bat was their joint-third highest in the format, built on a power-hitting display that saw them hit as many as 11 sixes out of a record match tally of 15. It took India's count of sixes in the calendar year to 128. For context, South Africa are the next best in 2026, with 78.

Beyond the records though, this was a chance to see if India's T20 team would go through any newer iteration. Having won the toss, Captain Smriti Mandhana saw an opportunity to experiment with the batting order and pushed Anushka Sharma up to open alongside Shafali, with the India captain holding herself back. Anushka made the most of her promotion, scoring 28 off 20 balls before being caught off Nomvelo Sibanda.

Shafali, meanwhile, continued her rich vein of form, striking six fours and five sixes in a 37-ball 69. The innings lost some momentum after Anushka's dismissal, with Niki Prasad managing just 9 off 12 balls. But Harmanpreet, who was 11 off 12 at one stage, transformed the innings with a stunning assault on the Zimbabwe bowlers.

The turning point came in the 14th over, when Harmanpreet took on Kudzai Chigora, collecting 20 runs from the over including two fours and two sixes. She repeatedly cleared the ropes thereafter, including a noteworthy six over long-on off a good-length delivery after advancing down the track. The former India captain, who reached 50 off 25 balls, brought brute force and clean striking to the fore, taking India past the 200-run mark despite a cluster of wickets in the closing overs.

She was on 81 at the start of the final over and retained the strike throughout it, finishing unbeaten on 91 off 41 balls, with 10 fours and five sixes. Her late surge ensured India finished with a daunting total even as Zimbabwe's fielders continued to take some impressive catches. Beloved Biza was the pick of the visitors' bowlers with three wickets, although Zimbabwe's bowling struggled to contain India's scoring rate. Mandhana never came out to bat, even after India lost seven wickets, underlining the experimental nature of the batting order.

Zimbabwe were never in the chase and even were one down after just one ball. To their credit, they hung around despite the early setbacks and the pair of Sharne Mayers and Beloved Biza put on 82 off 78 for the third wicket. Mayers continued to impress with her big-hitting abilities, hitting all four of her team's sixes in a 49-ball knock of 60. Nandani Sharma was the pick of India's bowlers, taking 3 for 18 from her four overs.

Brief scores: India 216/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 91*, Shafali Verma 69; Beloved Biza 3-50) beat Zimbabwe 124/7 in 20 overs (Sharne Mayers 60; Nandani Sharma 3-18) by 92 runs

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