A World Cup is always a high-pressure tournament, with lakhs watching to see if players can elevate their games. The focus on the host nation only intensifies, as fans hope for a memorable competition. India will need to manage these expectations as they gear up to host the 2025 Women’s World Cup.
The World Cup returns to India after 12 years, and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is the only surviving member from the side that exited in the group stages. Since then, women’s cricket in India has seen rapid growth. The team now has more fearless and confident players, who have greater exposure to various conditions and improved facilities. They challenge the best teams worldwide.
The current squad has many experienced players who know how to perform at major global events. The 2025 Women’s World Cup gives them a chance to finally cross the final line and become heroes to more than a billion fans.
What does captain Harmanpreet Kaur have to say?
“The journey in the buildup to this World Cup has been enriching as it has given us a chance to learn, unlearn and relearn in our quest to get better as a team. It has not only brought the team even closer but has also reignited the fire within us to get our hands on an ICC Trophy. While the team’s wait for the elusive ICC trophy is still on, this Indian team has been on the rise for a while and this time around, we want to take those big strides and break the barrier by winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup,” Kaur wrote in her column for the ICC.
“There is a healthy mix of youth and experience in our World Cup squad across all the departments. There is plenty of batting talent around the group with Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh and Uma Chetry in the mix.”
“With a well-balanced squad, a dedicated and focused preparation leading into the tournament and a team which is hungry and determined to succeed, we are entering the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 with positivity and belief. This Indian team is eager to thrive in the challenging conditions and ready to write a glorious chapter in the rich history of Indian cricket.”
Who will be India’s star player?
There are many names in the Indian squad whose performances will go a long way in determining if the team wins their first global title. Among them, it would be imperative for Smriti Mandhana to deliver the goods consistently during the tournament’s duration. The 29-year-old has started her 2025-26 season off to a bang, with 300 runs in three matches, including two hundreds against Australia at New Chandigarh, earlier this month.
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Mandhana will need to set the tone for India’s innings at the top, either while batting first or second, and her opening stands with Pratika Rawal could be pivotal in laying the foundation for the rest of the innings. The southpaw will be playing in her third ODI World Cup and has decent numbers in the marquee tournament with 559 runs in 16 matches, with two hundreds to her name.
Mandhana’s exploits will be crucial if India are to challenge the best teams regularly and go deep in the tournament.
Why could India be contenders?
The most fundamental reason why India have a chance to go all the way is that they will be playing at home and as a result, know the conditions better than any other side. However, another key factor that could make a contender is that players like Kaur, Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues and Radha Yadav have played together in several big-ticket events. As a result, they have an understanding of what it takes to go deep and, crucially, know where the pitfalls lie in crunch games.
India’s most crucial phase will be between October 12-23, where they will take on Australia, England and New Zealand. They would want to enter the phase with ideally two wins, if not three, at the start of the tournament.
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Early victories in the tournament would set the tone and ensure that they are not under extreme pressure when they face the might of Australia in Visakhapatnam on October 12.
What’s India’s complete squad?
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud. Reserves: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare
What are India’s fixtures?
September 30:
vs Sri Lanka, Guwahati
October 5:
vs Pakistan, Colombo
October 9:
vs South Africa, Visakhapatnam
October 12:
vs Australia, Visakhapatnam
October 19:
vs England, Indore
October 23:
vs New Zealand, Navi Mumbai
October 26:
vs Bangladesh, Navi Mumbai
How have India fared in past editions?
1978: Group Stage
1982: Group Stage
1993: Group Stage
1997: Semifinal
2000: Semifinal
2005: Runners-up
2009: Super 6s
2013: Group Stage
2017: Runners-up
2022: Group Stage
