India’s women’s cricket team has achieved a remarkable turnaround, securing their spot in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 final. They are set to face South Africa on November 2nd at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. Their journey has been an emotional rollercoaster, starting strong, hitting a rough patch with three consecutive losses, and then displaying incredible resilience with a stunning semi-final victory against Australia.
Jemimah Rodrigues was the undisputed star of the semi-final, delivering a career-defining performance. Her unbeaten 127, brilliantly supported by Harmanpreet Kaur’s 89, powered India to chase down Australia’s challenging total of 338, making 341/5. This chase stands as the highest successful run-chase in the history of Women’s World Cup knockout matches.
The team’s path to the final truly showcases their indomitable spirit. After facing a series of setbacks in the middle of the tournament, they rallied magnificently, clinching vital back-to-back wins against New Zealand and Australia to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Match-by-match journey:
Match 1: India vs Sri Lanka – Won by 59 runs (DLS method)
India began their campaign confidently in Mumbai. Batting first, they put up a competitive total of 269/8 in their allotted 50 overs, thanks to crucial half-centuries from Deepti Sharma (67) and Amanjot Kaur (58). Their 97-run partnership was instrumental in steadying the innings after an early wobble. In response, Sri Lanka showed some fight, with Chamari Athapaththu scoring 65, but Deepti Sharma’s excellent all-round display, including 3/54 with the ball, helped India dismiss Sri Lanka for 211 in 45.4 overs.
Match 2: India vs Pakistan – Won by 88 runs
The highly anticipated rivalry clash saw India dominate thoroughly. Batting first on a tricky, sluggish pitch, Harleen Deol’s composed 46 anchored India’s innings to 247 all out. With the ball, Kranti Gaud (3/20) and Deepti Sharma (3/45) dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup, leaving them struggling at 98/6. Despite a late fightback from Aliya Riaz, Pakistan were bowled out for 159, securing India their second consecutive victory.
Match 3: India vs South Africa – Lost by 3 wickets
India’s perfect start was broken in a nail-biting encounter in Pune. After setting a target of 281/7, largely due to Richa Ghosh’s elegant 94 and Smriti Mandhana’s 45, India’s bowlers had South Africa in trouble at 81/5. However, Marizanne Kapp (78*) and Nadine de Klerk (42*) formed an unbroken partnership, orchestrating a dramatic chase with seven balls to spare. This was a tough defeat that highlighted India’s challenges in death bowling.
Match 4: India vs Australia – Lost by 3 wickets
In a high-scoring thriller played in Bengaluru, India posted an imposing 330, fueled by Smriti Mandhana’s fluent 80 and young Pratika Rawal’s solid 75. However, their lead proved insufficient as Australia, spearheaded by Alyssa Healy’s spectacular 142 off just 107 balls, chased down the target with four balls and seven wickets remaining. India’s spin attack struggled under pressure, allowing Australia to complete a memorable run-chase.
Match 5: India vs England – Lost by 4 runs
This match represented arguably the most heartbreaking loss of India’s campaign. England set a target of 288/8, primarily built around Heather Knight’s captain’s century (109). In their chase, India appeared to be in control at 210/2, with Mandhana (88) and Harmanpreet (70) batting confidently. But a dramatic middle-order collapse shifted the momentum. Despite Deepti Sharma’s late half-century, India agonizingly fell short by just four runs, needing 22 from the final 12 balls.
Match 6: India vs New Zealand – Won by 53 runs (DLS method)
Facing a must-win situation to keep their tournament hopes alive, India delivered one of their most dominant batting performances. Smriti Mandhana (102) and Pratika Rawal (104) created a record-breaking 198-run opening partnership, the highest for India in World Cup history. Jemimah Rodrigues further boosted the total with an unbeaten 76, taking India to 340/3. Rain then interrupted New Zealand’s chase at 212/6, and India secured a 53-run victory via the DLS method, confirming their place in the semi-finals.
Match 7: India vs Bangladesh – No result (rain)
India was in a commanding position in this shortened game before rain ultimately forced a no-result. Radha Yadav’s disciplined bowling (3/30) helped restrict Bangladesh to 119/9 in 27 overs. India’s openers, Mandhana (29*) and Shafali Verma (24*), got off to a quick start, reaching 57/0 in 8.4 overs before the downpour ended the match. The shared points were enough to confirm India’s advancement to the knockout stage.
Now, with just one hurdle remaining, India stands on the brink of making history. A victory against South Africa in the final would not only secure their first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup title but also cap off a truly cinematic campaign, transforming moments of heartbreak into heroism.