It was another commanding display from India Women as they stormed to an emphatic 88-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan Women in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The win not only extended India’s unbeaten streak over Pakistan in one-day internationals to twelve matches but also placed them at the top of the World Cup points table with four points from two games.
Having opted to bowl first upon winning the toss, the Pakistan team made early inroads. However, India’s batters showed patience and grit, posting a competitive total of 247 in 50 overs. Despite none of the Indian batters reaching fifty, consistent partnerships that were maintained throughout the innings ensured that they had racked up a solid total to defend.
Openers Smriti Mandhana (31) and Pratika Rawal (23) set the tone with a cautious 48-run stand. Pakistan’s Fatima Sana provided the breakthrough, trapping Rawal lbw at the end of the ninth over. Soon after, Pakistan tightened their grip, trapping Mandhana for 31 runs. Harleen Deol, however, maintained constancy with a well-constructed 45, guiding India through the midovers before falling just short of a half-century while attempting a big shot.
India’s depth in batting was quite clearly proven by their total, with Richa Gosh coming in late at number 8 to smash an unbeaten 35 off 20 balls, gaining much-needed momentum. Without a single player reaching the fifty mark, her powerful hits propelled India towards their highest ODI total.
Diana Baig from the Pakistan team was the standout bowler with 4 for 69, while Fatima Sana supported with 2 for 39.
India’s skill in batting was quite evident in the face of their total, with Richa Ghosh coming in late at number eight to smash an unbeaten 35 off 20 balls, giving the innings much-needed late momentum. Her powerful hits pushed India towards their highest ODI total without a single player crossing the fifty mark. Pakistan’s Diana Baig was the standout bowler with figures of 4 for 69, while Fatima Sana supported with 2 for 39.
However, a 15-minute interruption occurred during the 34th over due to an unexpected invasion of flies, forcing ground staff to fumigate the field. Despite the break, India maintained composure and pushed toward a strong finish before being bowled out of the final delivery.
Chasing 248, Pakistan’s innings began on a rough note, as the swing generated by Renuka Thakur and seamer Kranti Goud proved too much for the top order. By the 12th over, Pakistan were reduced to 26 for 3, their chase already disrupted.
The early damage began with a controversial dismissal, where opener Muneeba Ali was ruled run out after a review revealed her bat was in the air when the stumps were hit, despite appearing to have made her ground earlier. The decision triggered debate. However, India capitalized on the momentum as Goud ripped through Pakistan’s middle order with a brilliant spell of 3 for 20 from 10 overs.
Pakistan briefly fought back through Sidra Amin and Natalia Pervaiz, who added 69 runs for the fourth wicket. Amin reached her half-century, showing excellent disposition, and later top-scored with a resilient 81, including nine boundaries and a six. However, Pakistan’s resistance began to decline after Pervaiz fell for 33.
Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma, the Indian spinners, tightened their grip, sharing five wickets between them as Pakistan’s lower order collapsed under pressure. From 128 to 4, they were bowled out for 159 inside 43 overs, handing India a comprehensive 88-run win.
India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, praised her bowlers after the match, especially Goud, whose accuracy and control on a tricky surface were instrumental in securing victory. “Kranti was outstanding. The spinners did their job perfectly, and even though we dropped a few catches, the bowlers kept creating chances,” Kaur said.
Pakistan captain Sana Fatima expressed disappointment at her side’s fielding lapses and missed chances. “We gave away too many runs in the power play and again in the death overs. We should have restricted them under 200,” she admitted, acknowledging her team’s struggles both with the ball and in the field.
The win marked India’s second consecutive victory in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, keeping their campaign on track as they head home to face South Africa Women next. Pakistan, meanwhile, will stay in Colombo to play Australia Women, the defending champions, in their next group-stage match.
For India, the biggest positives were the development of Kranti Goud as a reliable pace option and the advantage shown in their batting order, with every player contributing valuable runs. The convincing margin of victory also boosted their net run rate, an important factor as the tournament progresses.
