The hosts India Women (IND-W) will take on New Zealand Women (NZ-W) in Match No. 24 of the Women’s World Cup 2025 at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, on Thursday, October 23. These two teams India and New Zealand are desperate to get two points.
Team India have made so many mistakes, and it has cost them three consecutive games. They came close to winning in every game but ended up on the wrong side. But now they can’t afford more mistakes. Similarly, New Zealand Women are in the same situation, and two points here will be important. Whoever loses this game will be out of the tournament or will have to depend on other results to fall in their favour to qualify for the semis .
IND -W vs NZ -W : Previous Performances
India Women have had a challenging campaign so far, suffering three consecutive losses and currently standing fourth in the points table. With only one semi-final spot remaining, a win in this match is crucial for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side’s hopes of progressing to the next round. However, a loss would mean that they will have to make an early departure from the top four contention.
On the other hand, the White Ferns sit fifth in the table with just one victory, and several of their matches have been affected by rain interruptions. The Sophie Devine-led side, too, will be looking to secure a win to strengthen their chances of reaching the semi-finals. However, the situation for them is also the same, as it is a do-or-die fixture.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have had a rain-disrupted campaign with two of their five matches so far ending in no result. The former champions began their campaign with back-to-back defeats against Australia by 89 runs and South Africa by six wickets. They bounced back with a massive 100-run win over Bangladesh, but the following fixtures against Sri Lanka and Pakistan were reduced to no results due to rain. A negative net run rate of -0.245 puts them at a disadvantage compared to India’s +0.526.
The White Ferns squad boasts many match-winners, such as skipper Sophie Devine, all-rounders Amelia Kerr and Suzie Bates, bowlers Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr, etc., but they are evidently struggling to build momentum due to rain interruptions.
IND -W vs NZ -W : Head to Head
The two teams have faced each other 57 times in WODIs, starting in 1978. New Zealand hold the edge with 34 wins, while India have won 22 matches. One match ended in a tie. In their most recent ODI meeting, last October, India women chased down New Zealand women’s 232 all out for a six-wicket win with 34 balls to spare at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
India and New Zealand have crossed paths multiple times in Women’s ODI World Cup history, mostly in the group stage. For Indian fans, a standout encounter happened in the 2017 edition at Derby, where India thrashed New Zealand by 186 runs to secure a semi-final spot. Captain Mithali Raj scored a century (109), while Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed five wickets.
Their semi-final meeting in 2005 saw India post 204/6, anchored by Mithali’s unbeaten 91, before sealing a 40-run victory. In the 2000 semi-final meeting, New Zealand registered a dominant nine-wicket win: bowling India out for 117 and chasing the target down in just 26.5 overs.
| Matches Played | 57 |
| IND-W Won | 22 |
| NZ-W Won | 34 |
| Tied / No Result | 01 |
| First-Ever Fixture | January 05, 1978 (NZ-W Won) |
| Most-Recent Fixture | October 29, 2024 (IND-W Won) |
IND -W vs NZ-W : Pitch and Weather Report
The Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy pitch generally offers good bounce and consistent pace, allowing batters to play their shots freely. The surface is mostly flat, making it conducive to high-scoring contests. Fast bowlers can extract some movement early in the innings, while spinners are likely to come into play during the middle and later stages of the match. Opting to bowl first can be a wise decision at this venue.
The wicket in Navi Mumbai is good for batting. It is a balanced wicket with swing with the new ball and turn for spinners as the game goes on. But it has also seen good scores in the white-ball formats. The prediction is rain during the game, so choosing to bowl first can be ideal.
While the Navi Mumbai pitch didn’t seem to offer much for bowlers in the last match, Sri Lanka could post only 202 after opting to bat against Bangladesh. Chamari Athapaththu had said that there was some dew in the second half. There has been some unseasonal rain in Mumbai, and an interruption is likely on Thursday too. It’s expected to be hazy in the afternoon, with a chance of rain in the evening.
IND -W vs NZ-W : Big Picture : Time and chances running out for both India and New Zealand
The pressure on India is higher than ever. Three successive losses in matches they could have won, mounting criticism, and five games in, they are still tinkering with combinations. But they now return to Navi Mumbai, a venue many in the squad know well through T20Is and the WPL, needing just a win against New Zealand to reach the semi-finals.
New Zealand haven’t had it easy either. Their last two matches were washed out, and qualification now requires them to win both remaining games, against India and England. It’s a tougher ask, but not beyond a side that just celebrated the first anniversary of their T20 World Cup win, where they beat India in the opening match. They have won 34 out of the 57 ODIs against India, including six of their last nine encounters since 2022.
Their campaign this time started with heavy defeats to Australia and South Africa, before they bounced back against Bangladesh. But they remain over-reliant on Sophie Devine with the bat, and their thin spin attack – with just Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson – has had limited impact on slower pitches.
India, on the other hand, have had different contributors in every game but haven’t settled on a clear first-choice XI. After four matches with five bowlers, they dropped Jemimah Rodrigues to play an extra bowler against England. The move did seem to work as England were kept to 288 for 8 after a strong start, but India’s batting faltered under pressure in the chase, which has been a familiar story. They will want to address that.
The weather could, however, have a say. Devine called the washouts in Colombo “frustrating”, and the forecast for Thursday isn’t encouraging either. Rain hit Navi Mumbai for over two hours in the evening two days before the match, cancelling India’s training session. A washout, however, would favour India, considering New Zealand have a tougher opponent in England to face in their last game, and just haven’t been able to get any sort of momentum going.
IND -W vs NZ -W :In the spotlight – Kranti Gaud and New Zealand’s openers
After a promising start to the tournament, India’s young pacer Kranti Gaud has hit a bit of a bump. Her early spells, full of discipline and pinpoint yorkers, have been impressive, but her death bowling has come under the scanner.
Against South Africa, she opened with a tidy 1 for 19 in five overs, only to concede 40 off her final four. She went wicketless in the last two games, conceding 73 runs off nine overs against Australia and 46 off eight against England. On a Navi Mumbai surface expected to be more batter-friendly, Gaud will need to recalibrate quickly if India are to keep New Zealand quiet.
New Zealand are still waiting for their openers to turn up. Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer have endured a poor run – their partnership average of 10.66 is the second-worst among all teams this tournament. Bates followed two ducks with a 29 (run out) against Bangladesh, while Plimmer has managed just 35 runs across three games, struggling for fluency throughout. A more batting-friendly pitch probably awaits them at the DY Patil Stadium, where they will hope to give their side a strong start.
IND -W vs NZ-W : Vital Stats that matters
- India have their poorest win -loss ratio for any team in ODI World Cups against New Zealand
- Bates is 67 runs away from becoming the second-leading run-scorer in ODIs. She needs 75 runs to complete 6000 runs in the format.
- Tahuhu will be playing her 200th international match.
- India have played eight T20Is at the DY Patil Stadium, winning four including one in a Super Over against Australia.
IND -W vs NZ-W : Team News for India and New Zealand
India :
Will India revert to five bowlers for the crucial fixture? While their bowlers pulled things back well in the last ten overs against England, India might think they need the experience of Rodrigues at No. 5.
India Probable Playing XI : Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur/Harleen Deol
New Zealand :
New Zealand had kept their senior pacer Lea Tahuhu out tactically in the match against Sri Lanka, but brought her back in for the Pakistan game. They are likely to stay with the same XI.
New Zealand Playing XI : Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson
IND -W vs NZ -W : Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Sophie Devine
New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine could prove to be the key batter in this crucial clash against India Women. She has been in outstanding form, scoring 260 runs in three innings, outshining many of her contemporaries. With this match being a do-or-die encounter, Devine is expected to step up and showcase her masterclass once again.
Probable Best Bowler: Deepti Sharma
Indian right-arm spinner Deepti Sharma could be the key bowler in this clash. She is currently the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, having claimed 13 wickets in five matches. Her 10-over spells have consistently been match-turning, and she is expected to pick up crucial wickets at pivotal moments.
IND -W vs NZ -W : Match Prediction
India have lacked match-winning ability under pressure. They have failed to convert chances to wins. Hence, we predict New Zealand to win this game.
Also Read: Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: A Plot Twist No One Saw Coming