India's campaign was on the verge of derailment after losing back-to-back games to South Africa, Australia and England. Against England, India were cruising at 234 for 3 before failing to surpass a target of 289.
India opener Smriti Mandhana has extended her lead at the top of the ICC ODI ranking for women batters following her fine run at the ongoing Women's Cricket World Cup.
'I think we have got a very settled batting lineup. Would not like to shuffle it around too much but when the need arises, you know we are flexible about it.'
'We are going to play in front of a huge crowd in India, and it's going to be a memorable campaign and we are ready for it.'
Gaud bowled a match-winning spell of 3 for 20 in her 10 overs against Pakistan in the ICC Women's World Cup match on Sunday.
Respect over rivalry? India-Pakistan face-off awaits
Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy is likely to be fit for India's women's World Cup 2025 opener against Sri Lanka on September 30 after figuring in the second warm-up match against New Zealand and taking two wickets in nine overs on Saturday.
The Indian women's cricket team will look to end a 47-year wait for its maiden ICC title when it takes the field at the ODI World Cup starting with a clash against Sri Lanka.
Skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt led from the front with a sparkling hundred as England beat India by 153 runs in their warm-up game ahead of the ICC Women's World Cup, in Bengaluru, on Thursday.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain on Friday said Harmanpreet Kaur boasts of a fantastic World Cup record and it's time the Indian women's team skipper delivered like her Australian counterpart Alyssa Healy.
Jemimah Rodrigues played the innings of her life, slamming a century for the ages as India pulled off a record chase to storm into the Women's World Cup final after a five-wicket victory over defending champions Australia in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
Shafali Verma scripted a new record to her name as the opener blasted the highest score by an Indian batter in the Women's World Cup final.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, are coming into the showpiece event on the back of a hard-fought ODI series loss to Australia, where opener Smriti Mandhana slammed two back-to-back centuries and the spinners, led by Deepti Sharma, giving a good account of themselves.
Mandhana dropped one spot to second after totalling 115 runs across the three matches against England.
A night before the historic final against South Africa, the Indian women's team captain received a special phone call and it was none other than the history maker himself.
Even as Australia pressed hard to regain control with key breakthroughs, Jemimah's focus never wavered. Her shot selection was immaculate and temperament unflappable.
India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi on Saturday said wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh is being monitored by the strength and conditioning team
'I think everyone's shot selections at that time... we could have done better with our shot selections.'
Off-spinner Deepti bowled the 48th over, and De Klerk managed to find two boundaries off her before applying finishing touches to the chase, smashing pacer Amanjot Kaur for two sixes in the 49th over.
IMAGES from the WPL match between Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz in New Delhi on Friday
India's record-breaking chase against Australia in the Women's ODI World Cup semifinal sent a wave of pride and emotion through the country's sporting fraternity.
'Muneeba's run-out issue has already been settled, I believe. I don't want to talk much about it now.'
'A lot of girls played here for the first time. The excitement was quite high.'
All-rounder Amanjot Kaur did handle pace duties with Gaud, but India missed another proper bowling option in their line-up, be it pacers Renuka Thakur and Arundhati Reddy or spinner Radha Yadav.
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that Team India does not need to prepare turning wickets as they can bowl out their opponents with their pace line-up and having another spin-friendly wicket for the second Test against South Africa will be a "big test of their ability".
Jemimah Rodrigues produced a sensational knock that included 14 fours as India pulled off the biggest successful chase in women's ODI history with nine balls to spare.
After winning the ODI World Cup title by beating South Africa in the final in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2, 2025, Harmanpreet's advice to budding youngsters is: "Never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you."
Spinner Deepti Sharma bagged her maiden five-wicket haul in Tests to put India in control on Day 2 of the one-off Test.
Australia cantered to a six-wicket win against India in the second women's T20 to level the three-match series 1-1.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be playing an ODI World Cup final for the third time, having finished runners-up in 2005 and 2017 to Australia and England, respectively. This will be South Africa's maiden appearance in the final.
If the men of 1983 gave India a reason to dream, the women of 2025 could give it something rarer -- the courage to live that dream in full daylight, under an open sky that finally belongs to them, points out Prem Panicker.
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Monday clarified that the third umpire's decision to adjudge Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali run out during their 88-run loss to India in the Women's World Cup was "entirely correct", asserting there was no deviation from the Laws of Cricket.
'Feeling really good that I'm the Player of the Match in a World Cup match. People in my village would be proud. They've put on a big LED screen to watch the match.'
'We want our girls to bring their A game on the day. We want them to take it just as a game because the World Cup is a long campaign.'
India defeated Pakistan by 88 runs in their Women's World Cup match in Colombo on Sunday.
Both teams began their World Cup campaigns in contrasting fashion. Hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 59 runs, while Pakistan, collapsed against Bangladesh, losing by seven wickets in a match where they struggled against both pace and spin.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur described her team's narrow four-run defeat to England as 'heartbreaking'
Under pressure to revive their campaign after back-to-back defeats, India will have to consider adding a sixth bowler to bring more balance to their attack when they face England in a crucial Women's ODI World Cup match, in Indore, on Sunday.
Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal's 212-run stand against New Zealand is India's highest in Women's World Cup history.
Harmanpreet Kaur's side would become the fourth team to book the semifinal berth if they get the better of the White Ferns here on the familiar mat of the DY Patil Stadium.
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