India firmly stamped their authority at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 with a dominant 88-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo.
The win, powered by Kranti Gaud's outstanding three-wicket
haul, marked India's second consecutive triumph in the tournament following their opening success against Sri Lanka.
India post competitive total under tricky conditions
Opting to bat after Pakistan chose to field, India began with aggressive intent as Pratika Rawal flicked and drove Diana Baig for three boundaries in succession. Smriti Mandhana struggled initially but began to find rhythm before being dismissed LBW by Pakistan captain Fatima Sana for 23. Harleen Deol then took over, using nimble footwork to loft Rameen Shamim over long-on for a delightful six.
Rawal's promising innings ended at 31, bowled by Sadia Iqbal, as a brief disruption caused by swarming insects unsettled both sides. Harmanpreet Kaur (19) and Deol (46) tried to steady the innings but fell in quick succession, leaving India at a delicate stage. Jemimah Rodrigues' fluent 32 and useful contributions from Sneh Rana (20) and Deepti Sharma (25) helped rebuild the innings before a late flourish from Richa Ghosh, whose breezy 35 off 20 balls lifted India to 247 all out. Diana Baig wrapped up the innings with two wickets in two balls to finish with figures of four for 69.
Gaud leads disciplined bowling effort
Pakistan's chase faltered from the outset as Renuka Singh's probing swing nearly produced two early LBWs before a miscommunication saw Muneeba Ali run out for 2. Kranti Gaud then struck twice in quick succession, removing Sadaf Shams with a sharp caught-and-bowled and dismissing Aliya Riaz soon after.
Sidra Ameen and Natalia Pervaiz mounted a spirited 69-run partnership to steady proceedings, but Gaud's return proved decisive once more as she broke the stand, claiming Pervaiz for 33 to complete an impressive three for 20. From there, India's spinners took control - Deepti Sharma picked up three wickets while Rana's double strike, including the crucial dismissal of Ameen for 81, sealed Pakistan's collapse.
Bowled out for 159 inside 43 overs, Pakistan fell well short as India celebrated another commanding win, with Kranti Gaud's disciplined spell capping a near-perfect team performance. The match was not short of controversy, as their was a glaring mistake during the toss. Apart from that, the match was also halted for some time due to a bug attack on the players in Colombo.
India will take on South Africa on October 9, while Pakistan are set for an even more daunting challenge as they face Australia on October 8.
