New Delhi: A month of action, some nail-biting encounters and 30 matches later, a new world champion is set to be crowned as Harmanpreet Kaur-led India gear up to face South Africa in a blockbuster final in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. India has seen it all in the tournament and survived through the highs and lows to stand on the cusp of history.
From being considered done and dusted after three successive losses in the league stage, Harmanpreet & Co. staged an incredible fightback to make it to the final, their first in eight years. Against the mighty Aussies in the semi-final, not many gave India a chance, considering the way the team had performed throughout the tournament.
However, a sensational unbeaten century from Jemimah Rodrigues and a captain’s knock from Harmanpreet powered India to a record chase as they stunned the Aussies to enter the final. Despite being 59/2 at one stage in the semi-final, India rode on Rodrigues’s unbeaten 127 and Harmanpreet’s 89 to comfortably chase down a record target and knock the seven-time champions out of the tournament.
India needed something special to beat Australia in the semi-final, and special it was. Rodrigues produced a knock for the ages, arguably the best of her career so far, to take India into the final. But India would hope they haven’t burned all their luck in the semi-final, as they prepare for the biggest test yet in the tournament—the Proteas in a high-pressure final.
Harmanpreet Kaur chases two dreams in Women’s World Cup 2025 final
Harmanpreet was part of India’s XI when the Women in Blue last played in an ODI World Cup final in 2017. Her half-century went in vain as the Mithali Raj-led side fell short by 9 runs in a heartbreaking defeat to England, missing out on the elusive trophy. Harmanpreet has since seen it all as the leader of the side, but never managed to get her team into another final.
On Sunday, it won’t only be her first ODI World Cup final in 8 years, but it might also be her last as she is already in the twilight of her career at 36. In what could be her potential World Cup swansong, Harmanpreet stands on the cusp of achieving twin dreams – to help India lift their maiden title and to become only the third Indian captain across men’s and women’s cricket to win an ODI World Cup for the country.
To lift India’s first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup
Harmanpreet’s first dream will be to help India lift their first-ever ODI World Cup in women’s cricket. In the 52-year history of the tournament, India have managed to come close to lifting the title only twice. In 2005, they lost to Australia in the final before going down against England in their second final appearance in 2017.
Harmanpreet will hope to end India’s 52-year-long drought by inspiring her team to their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup triumph at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. If they manage to beat the Proteas, India will become only the third team to win the Women’s ODI World Cup title, highlighting Australia’s (7 titles) and England’s (4 titles) dominance in the tournament.
To join an elite company
Harmanpreet’s second dream would be to join an elite list of captains to have won the ODI World Cup for India. The legendary Kapil Dev and the legendary MS Dhoni are the only two captains to have lifted the elusive ODI World Cup crown for India in men’s cricket. Harmanpreet has the chance to become the first captain to win the ODI World Cup in women’s cricket and become only the third Indian captain overall to achieve the feat.
Former India all-rounder Kapil led India to maiden World Cup glory in 1983, when his team defeated the mighty West Indies in the final at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. Dhoni led India to a memorable triumph in the 2011 ODI World Cup, ending the country’s 28-year-long wait for a second World Cup trophy. Harmanpreet now has a chance to end India’s 52-year wait for their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title and etch her name in history.