India’s unbeaten ODI run against Pakistan extended to a remarkable 12 matches, and 5th straight in ODI World Cups, as they registered a dominant 88-run win in Colombo on 5 October 2025, their second victory in the ongoing 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.
At the heart of this triumph was 22-year-old right-arm pacer Kranti Goud, whose spell of 10-3-20-3 dismantled Pakistan’s top order and earned her the Player of the Match award. In just her second outing of the tournament, Goud has already claimed 4 wickets at an average of 15.25 and an economy of 3.21, continuing a rapid rise that has transformed her from a squad apprentice into a new-ball match-winner.
Fresh off her World Cup opener against Sri Lanka, where she took 1 for 41 in Guwahati, Goud struck early in Colombo with disciplined line-and-length bowling that forced Pakistan into defensive errors. Bowling six unchanged overs with the new ball, while defending a total of 248, she repeatedly beat the bat with late swing. Her third strike, Aliya Riyaz edging to Deepti Sharma in the slips, came after a field change debate with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
“In the 12th over, Harman wanted to take the slip off,” Goud recalled with a smile. “I said, no, didi, let’s keep the slip for this over. I had that feeling I could get a wicket, and I got it off the first ball.”
Goud credited her coaches for the tactical adjustments that paid off. “The talk is about focusing on line and length only,” she explained post-match. “Variations like bouncer or slower balls depend on the situation. The coaches told me to pull my lengths back a little based on the conditions and surface, that’s what I did.”
While her bowling was match-defining, Goud also chipped in with important lower-order runs. Coming in at 226 for 8 alongside Richa Ghosh, the pair added 21 runs to lift India’s total to 247. Goud’s 8 from 4 balls featured two boundaries, a crisp cover drive off Sadia Iqbal and a neatly placed shot past short fine leg off Diana Baig.
“Richa told me, if there’s a ball to be hit, go for it,” Goud said. “First ball itself was hittable, so I hit a four. The second was a short ball, so I went for it. Only a few overs were left, and we needed to score as many as we could.”
Goud’s journey to this stage began on 11 May 2025, at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium during the Tri-nation series final against Sri Lanka, where she returned with 5-0-22-0. That match was notable for a single ball, hitting Chamari Athapaththu on the ribs, a moment that convinced selectors she had the raw edge for bigger stages.
The real breakthrough came on India’s June–July tour of England. At Chester-le-Street, she delivered her career-best ODI figures of 9.5-1-52-6 in a thrilling series win over Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side. Across the three-game series, she picked up 9 wickets at 15.11, sealing her World Cup spot even before the return of senior pacer Renuka Singh.
Since her debut, Goud has taken 18 wickets at 19.88 and an economy of 5.13 in 9 innings, including that six-for against England and now this crucial three-wicket burst against Pakistan.
Asked about the India-Pakistan rivalry backdrop, Goud dismissed the noise: “I wasn’t thinking of India-Pakistan or other things. My duty is to bowl, and I was doing just that.”
Her grounded approach mirrors India’s focus as they prepare for their next challenge, a high-profile clash against South Africa, led by Laura Wolvaardt, in Visakhapatnam on 9 October 2025 at 3 PM IST. With two wins from two matches and Goud striking new-ball gold, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side looks firmly on course for a deep run in the tournament.
Goud’s blend of mental clarity, tactical awareness, and incisive swing has made her undroppable in this World Cup. For a bowler once brought in as cover for injured seniors, she now stands front and centre, India’s newest spearhead in women’s ODI cricket.
Loves all things female cricket