Deepti Sharma's outstanding all-round performance propelled India to a 59-run victory over Sri Lanka in the rain-affected opening match of the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup in Guwahati. The win was especially significant as India, the co-hosts, overcame a shaky start to their innings, demonstrating resilience and depth in their batting lineup.
The match, shortened to 47 overs per side due to rain, saw India recover from 124/6 to post a total of 269/8. This recovery was largely thanks to a crucial 103-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Deepti Sharma (53) and Amanjot Kaur (57). Kaur's innings marked her first World Cup half-century. Sri Lanka's Inoka Ranaweera initially caused havoc, taking 4 wickets for 46 runs. Ranaweera dismissedHarleen Deol (48), Jemimah Rodrigues (0), and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (21). Several dropped catches of Amanjot Kaur proved costly for Sri Lanka.
Chasing a revised target of 271 due to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 211 in 45.4 overs. Deepti Sharma starred with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 54 runs. Sneh Rana (2/32) and Shree Charani (2/37) provided valuable support, making regular breakthroughs. Sri Lanka's captain, Chamari Athapaththu, was the top scorer with 43, while Nilakshika Silva contributed 35.
Sharma's crucial wickets included that of Sri Lanka's captain, Chamari Athapaththu. Other key dismissals included Anushka Sanjeewani, caught at mid-wicket off Sharma's bowling, and Kavisha Dilhari, who edged a ball that was brilliantly caught by Richa Ghosh. Sneh Rana also contributed by dismissing Nilakshi de Silva.
Deepti Sharma was named Player of the Match for her outstanding performance. She emphasized the importance of her partnership with Amanjot Kaur, noting that there was no pressure because she is used to such situations. Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged the pressure of ICC tournaments and praised Sharma and Kaur for how they handled the situation.
The match set a new attendance record for an opening day at the Women's Cricket World Cup, with 22,843 fans present at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati. This figure also marks the most attended group stage match in the history of the Women's World Cup, surpassing the previous record of 15,935 during the India-Pakistan match at the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
