Nineteen runs on the board, two wickets gone inside three overs, and Smriti Mandhana walking back for a second-ball duck. For a few minutes in Vadodara, India’s women looked shaky. Then Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma batted Zimbabwe out of the game and wrapped up the series with a match to spare.
India Women beat Zimbabwe Women by 121 runs in the second ODI at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Captain Harmanpreet hit 126 and Deepti an unbeaten 106 as India posted 328/6 after choosing to bat. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 207 in 48.5 overs, handing India an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Quick Facts
- Result: India Women won by 121 runs
- Scores: India 328/6 (50 overs); Zimbabwe 207 all out (48.5 overs)
- When: Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Where: BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara
- Top scorers: Harmanpreet Kaur 126 (121 balls), Deepti Sharma 106* (86 balls), Pratika Rawal 61 (67)
- Best bowling: Vaishnavi Sharma 4/39, Deepti Sharma 3/32
- Series: India lead 2-0 with one ODI left
- Player of the Match: Harmanpreet Kaur
India vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI: From 19/2 to 328/6
The start was rough. Mandhana fell for 0 off two balls and Shafali Verma made 8, leaving India on 19/2 after three overs.
Pratika Rawal steadied things with a brisk 61 off 67 balls, including two sixes. She and Harmanpreet added 124 for the third wicket before Rawal fell in the 23rd over. Tejal Hasabnis went soon after for 3, and at 148/4 the innings needed someone to stay with the captain.
Deepti did more than stay. She scored at well over a run a ball, hitting 15 fours in her 86-ball knock, while Harmanpreet kept rotating strike and finding the gaps. The pair put on 153 runs off 137 balls for the fifth wicket. Reports described it as a record stand for the fifth wicket in women’s ODIs.
Harmanpreet’s 126 came off 121 balls with 15 fours. It was not a flawless innings, as Zimbabwe dropped her three times, but she made them pay every time.
Harmanpreet Kaur Passes Mithali Raj, Deepti Sharma Makes History
Both centurions walked off with something extra.
- Harmanpreet: This was her 8th ODI hundred, taking her past Mithali Raj’s 7. Only Smriti Mandhana, with 14, has more ODI centuries for India.
- Deepti: Her second ODI hundred and her first on home soil. She became the first Indian woman to score an ODI century batting at No. 6 or lower.
- Speed: Deepti’s hundred features among the five fastest ODI centuries by an Indian woman, according to Outlook India’s list.
Speaking about the pitch, Harmanpreet said “it wasn’t a true wicket” and that it held up a bit early on, so the plan was simply to keep batting deep.
How India’s Bowlers Closed Out the Zimbabwe Chase
Zimbabwe needed 329 and never got close to the required rate. Modester Mupachikwa made a patient 49 off 70 balls and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano added 46 off 57, with Beloved Biza chipping in with 34. But wickets kept falling whenever a partnership started to build.
Young spinner Vaishnavi Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 4/39 from her full 10 overs, including a maiden. Deepti backed up her century with 3/32 in nine overs. Sayali Satghare, Jintimani Kalita and Sree Charani took a wicket each, and the innings ended in the 49th over.
Why This Series Win Matters for India Women
On paper, India were expected to beat Zimbabwe, who are still building their ODI side. That makes the real story less about the result and more about what India learned.
The top order failed, and the middle order showed it can rebuild and still reach 300-plus. That is exactly the kind of test a side wants against a lower-ranked opponent, rather than finding out in a big tournament. A Deepti who can score hundreds at No. 6 gives the team management a useful option, and Vaishnavi’s four-wicket spell will push her claims for a regular spot.
The tour has been one-sided so far. India also won the T20I leg, including a nine-wicket win in the second T20I in Raipur, as reported by All India Radio.
What We Don’t Know Yet
With the series sealed, it is not yet clear whether India will rest senior players or hand debuts to fringe names in the final ODI. No squad changes had been announced when this was written.
Our Take
Big totals against weaker sides are easy to dismiss, but 19/2 on a tricky pitch is a genuine wobble, and India handled it with calm. Harmanpreet passing Mithali is a fitting milestone for a captain who keeps delivering when the innings needs her. Still, Mandhana’s duck and Shafali’s quick exit are worth watching: the openers will need runs before tougher opponents arrive.
FAQs
Who won the India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 2nd ODI?
India won by 121 runs in Vadodara on October 25, 2026, scoring 328/6 and bowling Zimbabwe out for 207.
How many ODI centuries does Harmanpreet Kaur have?
Her 126 against Zimbabwe was her 8th ODI hundred, one more than Mithali Raj. Only Smriti Mandhana has more for India.
What record did Deepti Sharma set?
Deepti became the first Indian woman to score an ODI century while batting at No. 6 or lower, finishing unbeaten on 106 off 86 balls.
Who was Player of the Match?
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was named Player of the Match for her 126.
Where can I follow the 3rd ODI?
Live scores and official updates are available on the BCCI website.
Based on reporting by India.com, Outlook India, myKhel and All India Radio.
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