Colombo, Sri Lanka – Pakistan's women's cricket team faces a significant challenge against an in-form Indian side in their ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 group stage match today at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. India has a dominant 11-0 record against Pakistan in Women's ODIs, making them the clear favorite.
The match is the second of the tournament for both teams. India is coming off a 59-run victory (DLS method) against Sri Lanka, while Pakistan seeks to rebound from a seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh. Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. For India, Renuka Singh Thakur replaced an unwell Amanjot Kaur in the playing XI.
India's strong batting lineup, led by Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, poses a threat to Pakistan. Mandhana is in excellent form, having recently scored her 12th ODI century. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh add depth to the middle order, while Deepti Sharma contributes as an all-rounder.
Pakistan's batting struggled in their first match, being bowled out for just 129 runs. Sidra Amin is a key player for Pakistan, being their leading run-scorer in 2025 with three centuries. However, she has had trouble scoring runs in Sri Lanka, and the team will need her to perform well to have a chance against India's strong bowling attack. Nashra Sandhu is another player to watch for Pakistan, as her slow left-arm bowling could pose a challenge to India's batters.
The match is taking place amid political tensions between India and Pakistan. It is the fourth time in 25 days that the two nations have faced each other in cricket. As seen during the Asia Cup 2025, a "no handshake" policy between the teams is expected.
Despite the pressures, Fatima Sana, Pakistan's captain, emphasized the importance of focusing on the game. She acknowledged the pressure of the match but stressed the need to execute their plans.
The weather in Colombo could also play a role, with rain predicted. The earlier match between Sri Lanka and Australia was abandoned due to rain.
Cricket fans can watch the match on the Star Sports Network, with live streaming available on JioHotstar.
India Women squad: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (w), Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Uma Chetry.
Pakistan Women squad: Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Rameen Shamim, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz (w), Fatima Sana (c), Natalia Pervaiz, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Eyman Fatima, Syeda Aroob Shah, Sadaf Shamas.
