(Left to proper) India’s Smriti Mandhana, Kranti Gaud, and Harmanpreet Kaur rejoice a wicket throughout the ICC Girls’s World Cup 2025 match in opposition to New Zealand at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on October 23, 2025. — AFP
Very good centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal powered India to a 53-run win over New Zealand and into the Girls’s World Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
Co-hosts India joined defending champions Australia, England and South Africa within the final-four of the eight-nation event.
Openers Mandhana and Rawal placed on 212 runs as India posted a mammoth 340-3 in 49 overs at a rain-hit DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The left-handed Mandhana hit 109 and Rawal struck 122 because the pair began cautiously however quickly bossed the opposition bowling with boundaries galore.
In reply, New Zealand completed on 271-8, chasing a revised goal of 325 in 44 overs to bow out of the semi-final race with a match remaining.
The White Ferns, led by Sophie Devine, have been unfortunate with two deserted matches as a consequence of rain in Colombo.
“We are incredibly disappointed and gutted, not just for ourselves but for our friends and family,” stated Devine, who will play her final one-day worldwide in opposition to England on Sunday.
“Frustrating tournament — would have loved more opportunities to play.”
India bounced again from three defeats in a row to place up a medical all-round present of their bid to win their first World Cup title.
“Whenever you’re playing at home, everyone expects a lot from us,” stated skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. “Our discussions are that the crowd is with us and this is the time to enjoy rather than taking pressure.”
Mandhana and Rawal took the match away from New Zealand throughout their marathon stand — India’s greatest for any wicket within the girls’s ODI World Cup.
Valiant Halliday and Gaze
Mandhana reached 100 with a single off Jess Kerr for her fifth hundred in 2025 and go stage with South Africa’s Tazmin Brits for many tons in girls’s ODI matches in a calender 12 months.
She lastly fell to Suzie Bates and walked off to a standing ovation from a raucous house crowd. The star batter hit 10 fours and 4 sixes in her 95-ball knock and was named participant of the match.
Rawal stored up the cost with Jemimah Rodrigues, who made 76 not out, to boost her maiden World Cup hundred and the pair placed on 76 runs to additional push New Zealand on the backfoot.
Amelia Kerr dismissed Rawal along with her leg-spin however Rodrigues stood agency and hit common boundaries.
Rain interrupted India’s innings after the forty eighth over and it took over 90 minutes for the forty ninth and the final over to be bowled.
New Zealand’s reply was delayed as a consequence of mild drizzle and misplaced an early wicket when Bates departed for one off medium-pace bowler Kranti Gaud within the second over.
Georgia Plimmer hit again in her 25-ball 30 however fell bowled to Renuka Singh’s medium-pace bowling.
Renuka struck once more to ship again Devine bowled for six as New Zealand slipped to 59-3.
A late push by Brooke Halliday, who hit 81, and Isabella Gaze, who made an unbeaten 65, infused some life into the chase of their sixth-wicket stand of 72 however the asking charge all the time stored India in management.
India play their remaining league match on Sunday in opposition to Bangladesh on the similar venue.
