India has been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 match against Australia in Visakhapatnam.
India were found to be one over short of the target after taking time allowances into account. As a result, the players were fined five per cent of their match fee. The decision was made by Match Referee Michell Perera, with the on-field officiating team comprising Sue Redfern, Nimali Perera, Kim Cotton, and Jacquline Williams.
The ruling falls under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which deals with slow over-rate offences in international cricket. India’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur accepted the decision without contesting it, avoiding the need for a formal hearing.
With a packed World Cup schedule and tight turnarounds between matches, maintaining the required over rate is as important as executing bowling strategies or field placements effectively.
The over-rate breach ended after a memorable contest that saw records tumble at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium. Put into bat first, India produced one of the tournament’s most complete batting displays, posting a formidable total of 330 all out.
The innings was built around a fluent partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, who scored 80 and 75, respectively. Mandhana also achieved a personal milestone, becoming the fastest Indian woman to reach 5,000 ODI runs, further cementing her place among the game’s elite.
However, despite the strong platform, India couldn’t capitalise fully. From 294 for 4 in the 43rd over, they lost their last six wickets for just 36 runs, undone by Australia’s disciplined death bowling. Annabel Sutherland was the standout performer with the ball, claiming five wickets for 40 runs, ensuring that India’s total, while impressive, remained just within reach.
Australia’s response was nothing short of historic. Alyssa Healy led the chase with a magnificent 142 off 107 balls, an innings full of control, aggression, and pure class. Supported by contributions from Ash Gardner and a resilient Ellyse Perry, who returned from a mid-innings injury to finish unbeaten on 47, Australia chased down the target of 331 in 49 overs, the highest successful run chase in women’s ODI history.
The result handed India their first defeat of the tournament and underscored the fine margins that define contests at this level. For India, the slow over-rate penalty only added to a day of mixed emotions, a game where they showed brilliance with the bat but struggled to maintain their tempo both in the field and between overs.
With the next fixture against England on October 19 in Indore, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will aim to bounce back stronger, tightening their fielding rhythm and ensuring greater efficiency in over-to-over transitions.
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