In a crucial encounter at the ICC Women's World Cup 2025, Harmanpreet Kaur's India Women are set to clash with New Zealand Women at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on October 23, 2025. With the semi-final berth on the line, this match is a virtual quarterfinal for both teams.
India's campaign hangs in the balance after suffering three consecutive losses. After a promising start with wins against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, they faced setbacks against South Africa, Australia, and England. Now, they must win to secure a spot in the semi-finals, as any more errors could make them rely on other results.
New Zealand also find themselves in a must-win situation. With their campaign marred by rain delays, they have only managed one win so far. They sit behind India in the points table due to an inferior net run rate. A defeat against India would exclude them from semi-final contention.
The match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM IST. The toss will take place at 2:30 PM IST. Live telecast will be available on the Star Sports Network in India, with live streaming on the JioHotstar app and website.
The Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai is known for its balanced wicket that favors spin bowling. Recent statistics show that spinners have a significant advantage at this venue. The average first innings score is around 202 runs, suggesting a potentially low-scoring match. The weather forecast indicates mostly cloudy conditions with a slight chance of rain and a possible dew factor.
Both teams have prominent players who could prove decisive. For India, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma are expected to deliver key performances. Deepti Sharma is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 wickets. For New Zealand, Sophie Devine has been in outstanding form, scoring 260 runs in the tournament.
Historically, New Zealand has dominated India in Women's ODIs, with 34 wins compared to India's 22. However, India won their last warm-up match against New Zealand, boosting their confidence.
If India wins against New Zealand, they will secure a semi-final berth. Even if they lose their final match against Bangladesh, a win in this match guarantees their progression. However, if India loses, their qualification depends on England defeating New Zealand and India winning against Bangladesh. A washed-out match would favor India due to their higher number of wins in the tournament.
The stakes are high as India aims to break their eight-year-long jinx against SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) nations in World Cups. Their last victory against a SENA side was in 2017.
