India qualified for the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 semifinals after beating New Zealand by 53 runs (DLS method) in a crucial league stage fixture on Thursday at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

This is the fifth time that the Women in Blue have made the semifinals — they have reached this stage previously in the 1997, 2000, 2005, and 2017 editions.

The host joins defending champion Australia, four-time champion England, and South Africa in the last four stage which begins on October 29 in Guwahati.

Chasing a win against the Kiwis in a rain-truncated match, India was put to bat after losing the toss. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, both of whom smashed centuries, stitched up a formidable 212-run stand to set the tone. Jemimah Rodrigues, in at No. 3, notched up her maiden ODI World Cup half-century to maintain India’s momentum and guide it to 340 for three in 49 overs.

Another spell of rain saw the target get revised to 325 and the overs reduced to 44. Kranti Gaud removed Suzie Bates cheaply in just the second over. Fellow pacer Renuka Singh Thakur then took the prized wickets of in-form skipper Sophie Devine and a settled Georgia Plimmer.

Half-centuries from Brooke Halliday and Izzy Gaze took the Kiwis’ chase deep but the Indians restricted them to 271 for eight in 44 overs.

India now has six points and the most it can reach is eight, which means the Women in Blue will remain in fourth place and face the table-topper in the semifinals.

Published on Oct 23, 2025