Final review - Womens ODI Worldcup 2025

 


The 2025 edition of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka) delivered a remarkable blend of dominant performances, dramatic comebacks and weather-impacted matches. Ultimately, the host nation India women’s cricket team emerged as champions, defeating South Africa women’s cricket team by 52 runs in the final to claim their first-ever Women’s World Cup title.
Beyond the trophy, the tournament showcased evolving standards in women’s global cricket – stronger depths in batting and bowling, and greater tactical nuance. However, the event was not without its flaws: a number of wash-outs due to rain in Sri Lanka raised concerns about scheduling and venues.

Below is a team-by-team review of how each of the eight sides fared, followed by a spotlight on the standout performers, wash-outs and key matches — culminating in what the eventual result means for India and South Africa.

Team reviews

(Teams listed roughly in order of finish)

India

Starting the tournament, India were far from dominant. Early losses exposed fragile top-order batting and a vulnerability to left-arm spin. Yet, from the league phase into knock-outs, the hosts found momentum: a record chase against Australia and a composed final performance. In the final, India posted 298/7 thanks to a fine 87 by Shafali Verma and 58 from Deepti Sharma, before bowling out South Africa for 246.
Their journey: shaky start → regroup → peak when it mattered.
Key strengths: All-round contributions, especially from Deepti Sharma, tactical improvement under Harmanpreet Kaur as captain.
Areas to watch: Top-order consistency, adapting earlier rather than later under pressure.

South Africa

The runners-up carved out their finest World Cup campaign to date. Under skipper Laura Wolvaardt they showed grit, depth and skill; Wolvaardt herself scored the tournament’s highest run tally. A highlight: the group‐stage upset of India, when Nadine de Klerk smashed 84* off 54 balls to clinch victory.
In the final they were undone by an India in top form, but South Africa can pride themselves on lifting their game.
Key strengths: Clutch hitting, lower-order depth, improved bowling.
Areas to watch: Closing out big matches, further developing consistency under pressure.



Australia

The defending champions were always dangerous – especially with batters like Alyssa Healy (142 vs India) and Ashleigh Gardner making big contributions. Their campaign featured brilliant moments, yet they fell short of repeating the title losing to the hosts in a high octane semi final .
Key strengths: Experience, aggressive batting at top level.
Weaknesses: Occasional lapses in top order batting ; other teams were increasingly closing the gap.

England

England’s campaign was solid if unspectacular. They featured batters like Heather Knight who scored heavily (288 runs) and met expectations. Their bowling, led by left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (16 wickets) also held up. However, they could not break into the final.
Key strengths: Experience, strong leadership.
Areas to improve: Big-match temperament, turning final-four chances into finals. Weak lower middle order batting .

New Zealand

New Zealand’s campaign was a dissappointment (e.g., India’s big win over them) . They lacked the final push that the top four displayed.
Key strengths: Traditionally steady side.
Weaknesses: Not enough standout match-winners, faded in knockout pressure. 

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, one of the hosts, struggled. Their campaign was marred by washouts (three no-results) and inconsistent cricket. Their home advantage did not translate into results.
Key strengths: Home crowd support.
Weaknesses: Depth, weather disruptions, scoreboard pressure.

Pakistan

Pakistan’s tournament was disappointing: they failed to register a win, finished with several washouts and low scoring.
Key strengths: Emerging talent.
Weaknesses: Lack of experience, poor conversion of chances.

Bangladesh 

With limited capacity,Bangladesh team always tried to punch above their weight . They have good talents in bowling but the batting continued to be timid . Had a couple of close games and challenged teams like England & South Africa. 

Key strengths: Challenging bowlers 
Weaknesses: Depth, Batting lacks power hitters , fielding cracks under pressure 

Stand-out performers & stats

  • Deepti Sharma (India): Player of the Tournament. Claimed 22 wickets and scored  215 runs. Stellar performance with consistency.  
  • Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa): Tournament’s highest run-scorer, 571 runs in 8 matches.
  • Annabel Sutherland (Australia): 17 wickets in 7 matches, average 15.82.
  • Sophie Ecclestone (England): 16 wickets in 7 matches, economy rate around 4.05.
  • Ash Gardner with 328 runs & 7 wickets and 2 100s was an outstanding performer for Australia 
  • Nadine DeKlerk with 208 runs including some sensational finishes and 9 wickets was a magnificent performer for South Africa 
  • Smriti Mandhana (434 runs) , Pratika Rawal (308 runs) & Jemima Rodrigues (292 runs) were stellar performers for India in batting . 
  • Washout statistic: At one Sri Lanka venue (Colombo) five of 11 matches were abandoned due to rain.

Key highlights & wash-outs

Most exciting matches

  • India vs Australia ( Group stage): India posted 330, Australia chased it down with Healy’s 142 off 107 balls.
  • India vs England : England helped by Heather Knight century piled on 288 but India nearly chased it down. However Harmanpreet & Deepti lost their wickets at crucial times and India agonisingly fell short by just 4 runs to jeopardize their semis hopes at that stage . 
  •   India vs Australia (semis): Australia posting a challenging 338 with Litchfield hitting 119 but India winning in a sensational & epic run chase with Harmanpreet scoring 88 & Jemima scriping an iconic 127 not out - a century for the ages .

  • India vs South Africa (group stage): South Africa turned the game around through de Klerk’s brutal 84* as India collapsed to 102/6 but recoved to 251 courtesy Richa Ghosh's breathtaking 94. However it was the DeKlerk show.
  • Bangladesh vs South Africa - It was DeKlerk show again with a match winning 37* in the final stages & last over finish after Bangladesh rattled South Africa in a tricky 232 run chase . 
  • Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: In a sensational last over finish Sri Lanka defended 9 runs in final over as Athapaththu took 4 wickets .

  • Final: India vs South Africa – India’s strong total of 298 and then bowl out South Africa for 246 in a historic win.

Wash-outs
Weather intervened: repeated rain-outs in Sri Lanka reduced playing time, with knock-on effects for teams like Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

What this means for the winners & runners-up

India

  • This title ends a long wait for India’s women, moving from perennial semi-finalists or runners-up to champions.
  • The victory on home soil is likely to boost the profile of women’s cricket in India — more investment, more fixtures, greater public interest.
  • Going forward: India will aim to maintain this momentum, deepen their bench, and convert more matches earlier rather than coming through by thread.


South Africa

  • While the trophy eluded them, reaching the final and defeating strong opponents sends a clear message: South Africa are serious contenders.
  • For the future: They must build on this, work on closing out major games and converting momentum into championships.
  • The strong performances from Wolvaardt, de Klerk and others give the team a core to build around.

Conclusion

The 2025 Women’s World Cup delivered on many fronts: headlines were made, records challenged, and the host nation sealed a historic win in dramatic fashion. The tournament revealed the growing depth of the women’s game globally, yet also highlighted logistical and scheduling wrinkles (rain-outs). For cricket fans and the sport itself, this edition will be remembered as a turning point — especially for India’s women, whose victory may mark the start of a new era.


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