India’s women’s cricket team is fighting hard for a spot in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 semi‑finals. Captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, the hosts have lost four of their last five matches after winning their opening games against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Now they face New Zealand at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai this Thursday.
The White Ferns are tied with India and Sri Lanka on four points, but India’s net run rate gives them the edge. A win against New Zealand will push them to six points and take them into the top two of the group, while a second win against Bangladesh on Sunday will lock a semi‑final berth for sure. Even if India loses to New Zealand, a victory over Bangladesh and a loss by England to New Zealand could still keep India’s hopes alive.
India’s batting has been erratic and their bowlers have struggled to defend totals. In the loss to England, opener Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur led a promising chase before the team collapsed for the final four runs. With the top order still searching for consistency, India will hope a star performer fires a long innings and the middle‑order provides a steady counter‑attack.
New Zealand, led by captain Sophie Devine, has been strong. Devine has already scored 260 runs in three games, averaging 86.66, and the team’s pacers Lea Tahuhu (9 wickets) and Jess Kerr (8 wickets) have been wicket‑takers. The White Ferns are known for pulling off surprise victories in big tournaments, having already beaten Australia in the opening match.
The match could be affected by rain, with forecasts predicting showers late in the day. An interruption would give India another chance to win the remaining game against Bangladesh, whereas New Zealand would still need to avoid a collapse at the hands of England on Sunday.
Key points for India:
* Need two wins from their last two group matches to reach the semi‑finals.
* Net run rate advantage helps, but a loss would still require other results to go their way.
* Leading scorers are Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal; bowler Deepti Sharma has taken the most wickets with 13.
Key points for New Zealand:
* Must win both matches against India and England to secure the fourth semi‑final spot.
* Sophie Devine and medium pacers Tahuhu and Kerr are the main weapons.
* Head‑to‑head, New Zealand has beaten India 34 times versus 22 victories for India in 57 encounters.
The DY Patil Stadium has not offered much help to bowlers in past matches, but overs have slowed times, giving teams a chance to chase or defend more comfortably. India aims to exploit that slowness and rely on its depth.
For fans, the stakes are high. A triumph will send India into the semi‑finals for the first time since the 2017 tournament, while a loss could mean the end of a dream season.
Both squads line up strong players:
India – Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Kranti Goud, Shree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy.
New Zealand – Maddy Green, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Gaze, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Brooke Halliday, Amelia Kerr, Eden Carson, Bree Illing, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.
The world will be watching as India and New Zealand battle for a place in the semi‑finals, with the drama building over the next few days of play.
Source: ianslive
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