India's moment of reckoning at a home World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur has the honour of leading India in a home World Cup. ©Getty

Hosting a Women's World Cup for the first time in over a decade, India have a rare, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity to end their long-standing ICC trophy drought in the after years of unfulfilled promise. The home side are heading to their most important assignment of 2025 having played the maximum number of ODIs (14) as compared to the other seven participating teams this year, with a 10-4 win-loss record, their only series defeat coming against Australia last week. They have most boxes ticked - a settled batting order, a versatile spin attack, and a pace unit that has both experience and spunk.

Smriti Mandhana's ability to dominate the PowerPlays sets the tone, and India's reliance on her explosive starts cannot be understated. But, given the consistency of fellow opener Pratika Rawal and with an in-form middle-order to follow, India have reasons to believe they can mount winning totals and hunt down steep targets with confidence. This blend of aggression and stability lends India flexibility to adapt across conditions.

A vastly experienced spin attack, led by Deepti Sharma, has allowed youngsters like Sree Charani to seamlessly transition to international cricket. They do lack a genuine legspin option though which could hurt at the backend of the tournament when spin could become a factor.

On paper, the pace bowling quartet is as strong as it could realistically be in a season where both Pooja Vastrakar and Renuka Thakur endured lengthy injury layoffs. This is also their most fragile link at the same time, with concerns over both Thakur and Amanjot Kaur's ability to play the full tournament. While this particular bowling unit has had a few games together, factors like injuries and workload have frequently dictated bowling combinations lending it an unsettled feel. In their most-recent ODI, India conceded a 400+ total, albeit on a flat track. But they can ill-afford at the World Cup. India's fielding too has blown hot and cold in the lead-up.

India's home advantage has also been somewhat neutralised by circumstances beyond their control, with the marquee event being staged at venues that have rarely - or never - hosted them in international cricket. Guwahati last hosted a women's T20I in 2019, Vizag's last ODI was back in 2014 (with only Harmanpreet Kaur, Mandhana, and Sneh Rana still around), Indore is set for its women's international debut, and DY Patil Stadium will be hosting a WODI for the first time as well.

India might not be overwhelming favourites like Australia, but they do have the tools to go deep and possibly win it - especially leveraging spin, home support and the depth in batting. Talent will win them matches, but temperament will define their tournament. How they manage pressure and expectations of this home World Cup could be the point of difference.

How they qualified: By virtue of being hosts...

...but their showing in ICC Women's ODI Championship 2022-25 was impressive as well. In fact, at one point, they stood a genuine chance of denying Australia the hat-trick of Championship trophies. A shock loss each to Bangladesh and New Zealand, along with the 0-3 blanking ro Australia last December confined them to the second spot. For the record, India finished with an 18-5 win-loss record in the 24 ODIs (1 tie vs Bangladesh), and had both the leading run-getter (Smriti Mandhana - 1358) and wicket-taker (Deepti Sharma - 42) in their ranks.

Squad:Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Kranti Goud, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur

Stand-bys: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawal, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare

Going by Amanjot Kaur's minimal presence in training, it doesn't look like India want to risk rushing her yet from the back injury that has sidelined her since the first ODI in England. She did come out to bat in the second warm-up game, but her precautionary unavailability as a bowler could hurt the balance of the XI significantly and increase batting dependence on their top-five. Jemimah Rodrigues, having recovered from a viral illness, walks back into the XI straightaway which means India won't even have the luxury of the 3-3 bowling attack they fielded in Delhi. Good thing, then, that all the part-timers - Rawal, Harmanpreet, and Rodrigues - have been rolling their arm over in the official warm-ups.

Keep an eye on:Kranti Goud

She has only seven games against her name but, in the five months since making ODI debut, Goud has troubled some of the strongest teams and biggest names India will be up against in this World Cup. She earned her India call-up as an injury replacement, and has since been preferred over the likes of Renuka Thakur and Arundhati Reddy when India have opted for a lone-pacer bowling combination in recent times. After a record-equalling six-fer in England, she made Alyssa Healy her bunny in the preceding home series - all of which have contributed to her rising stocks.

Kranti Goud has quickly risen through the ranks since she made her India debut. ©

Marquee match:vs Australia

Each of the 781 runs scored in Delhi less than a fortnight ago bears testament to that. Traditionally, it has been a very lop-sided rivalry - in this World Cup cycle alone, Australia finished 8-1. But India running them close in a decider, in a 400+ chase, was a reflection of what Harmanpreet said at the start of the series: that India now have the belief that they can genuinely challenge Australia's supremacy. The Delhi ODI was a proper show of both teams' strengths going into the World Cup: India's in-form batting, led by the explosive Smriti Mandhana, and Australia's batting depth and bouncebackability that's second to none.

Where they finished in 2022:League-stage exit

Deepti Sharma hasn't bowled a lot of no-balls in her ODI career, but the one in the final over of a virtual knockout against South Africa was a cruel reminder of how the smallest of margins can make or break a campaign. Of course it wasn't down to just that one mistake - losses to New Zealand and England set them back early in the tournament, making their last league game a do-or-die where Mignon du Preez, and her teammates, held their nerves better.

Predicted finish: Finalists

On current form, anything less than at least a final berth would be a disappointment for the hosts.

Full league state schedule

September 30: vs Sri Lanka, Guwahati at 3 PM IST

October 5: vs Pakistan, Colombo at 3 PM IST

October 9: vs South Africa, Vizag at 3 PM IST

October 12: vs Australia, Vizag at 3 PM IST

October 19: vs England, Indore at 3 PM IST

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