With less than a week to go for the much-anticipated 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 to get underway in India and Sri Lanka, India is gearing up under the leadership of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Beginning on 30th September in Guwahati against Sri Lanka at 3 PM IST, India will look to start strong in front of their home crowd, carrying with them a mix of history, recent lessons, and renewed belief.
While India comes into the tournament on the back of a 2-1 ODI series loss to Australia earlier this month, both Harmanpreet and Smriti exuded confidence and determination speaking on the JioHotstar show ‘Off the Pitch’, reflecting on their journeys, challenges, and expectations from the marquee event.
For Harmanpreet Kaur, the World Cup brings a sense of legacy. The 36-year-old Punjab batter, who will be making her fifth ODI World Cup appearance, recently became the third Indian woman after Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana to surpass 8,000 international runs, achieving the milestone during her fluent fifty against Australia in Delhi. Despite the series defeat, her aggressive 52 (35) in the decider reinforced her role as the team’s batting anchor and motivator.
Reflecting on her cricketing journey, Harmanpreet said, “As a girl, it was very hard for me to dream about playing for the country. I always wanted to open with Virender Sehwag, not knowing that you can’t play in a men’s team.” Since making her debut in March 2009 against Pakistan, Kaur has scored 4,149 ODI runs in 132 innings at an average of 37.37, with 7 centuries and 20 half-centuries. Few players embody both resilience and the ability to spark a comeback like her, and heading into a home World Cup, the responsibility to inspire team India rests firmly on her shoulders.
If Harmanpreet is India’s torchbearer of belief, Smriti Mandhana is their beacon of consistency. The Maharashtra opener, who debuted back in 2013, has become one of the world’s finest batters across formats. With 4,888 ODI runs in 108 matches at a remarkable average of 47.92 and a strike rate near 90, Mandhana enters the World Cup at the peak of her powers, having won the Player of the Series award against Australia for her dominant 300 runs across three ODIs.
Speaking about her early struggles and pride in wearing the India colours, Smriti recalled, “I remember I was 17 when I got the India jersey in my room. I don’t think I can forget it. I wore it and sent the photos to my parents and my brother. They were very emotional.”
Mandhana, who once had to travel long distances from Sangli to Pune as a teenager to chase her cricketing dreams, has become the face of India’s batting lineup. Her reflection on crowds and fan support adds another dimension to India’s campaign, “Nothing can beat people cheering India at the stadiums. The Women’s Premier League has made us immune to loud crowds as well. We have all been waiting for this World Cup. I am really excited to see how the stadiums turn out.”
India will compete against seven other sides, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, in what promises to be one of the most competitive World Cups yet. With Sri Lanka as co-hosts, the conditions across both countries will demand adaptability from all teams. For India, the opening clash against Sri Lanka in front of home fans offers an ideal chance to assert their ambitions from the very first ball.
The scars of recent defeats still linger; India’s league stage exit at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the UAE and the heartbreaking 2-1 series loss to Australia are fresh reminders of the thin margins at the highest level. But with Smriti’s form, Harmanpreet’s leadership, and a squad brimming with match-winners, India will look to turn resilience into triumph.
As the dream continues to unfold, this World Cup represents more than just a fight for the trophy. For Harmanpreet, it’s about fulfilling a childhood vision against all odds; for Smriti, it’s about carrying forward lessons from struggles into moments of glory. For India, supported by millions, it’s about seizing the home advantage, igniting a new era, and chasing that elusive first ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title on home soil.
(Quotes sourced from JioHotstar show ‘Off the Pitch’)
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