The Indian women’s cricket team has powered into the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 after a commanding 53-run (DLS) win against New Zealand at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday night.
Match Summary
India posted a formidable 340/3 in 49 overs, with openers Smriti Mandhana (109 off 95) and Pratika Rawal (122 off 134) scoring brilliant centuries. Jemimah Rodrigues added an unbeaten 76 off 55 balls, propelling India to their highest-ever total in a Women’s ODI World Cup match. After rain interruptions, the revised target for New Zealand was 325 in 44 overs, but they fell short at 271/8, despite resilient knocks from Brooke Halliday and Amelia Kerr. Pacer Renuka Singh and spinner Kranti Gaud each took two wickets as India sealed victory.
Qualification and Semi-final Details
With this victory, India became the fourth team to qualify for the semi-finals, joining Australia, England, and South Africa. This marks India’s first World Cup semi-final appearance since 2017, ending a tough mid-tournament phase marked by three consecutive defeats.
India are currently fourth in the points table with six points from six games, and their qualification is guaranteed under the ICC’s tiebreaker rules favoring total wins.
Upcoming Semi-final Schedule
The semi-finals are scheduled as follows :
| Match | Date | Venue | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semi-final | October 29 | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | TBC |
| 2nd Semi-final | October 30 | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | India vs Winner of Australia–South Africa |
The Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur praised her team’s resilience, noting how “the entire squad deserved credit for turning things around under pressure,” while Mandhana termed the semis berth a “big relief” after their early slump.
India’s roaring comeback and record-breaking batting performance have set the stage for a thrilling semi-final clash next week.
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