India has unveiled their 15-player squad for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, and the selections reflect a side built on clarity of roles and recent form in England. Harmanpreet Kaur will lead, with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy. The leadership is stable; the question lies in how India balances all key roles on match day and how they cope without the steadying influence of legends Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami.
The batting order has been selected on form, not reputation. Mandhana will open with Pratika Rawal, who has forced her way in after consistent runs-India’s second-highest scorer in recent ODIs with 569, behind only Mandhana’s 628. Their record stand of 154 and 135 respectively against Ireland in a total of 435/5 (India’s fourth-highest in ODIs) have underlined their batting chemistry.
Behind them, Harleen Deol slots at No. 3, Harmanpreet at No. 4, and Jemimah Rodrigues at No. 5. Harmanpreet’s 102 in the England series decider showed her ability to anchor pressure games, while Jemimah adds depth in the middle overs. Kaur was also named player of the tournament in the ODI series against England. Richa Ghosh remains the first-choice wicketkeeper, with Yastika Bhatia as the backup.
India’s all-around depth is its tactical lever. Deepti Sharma will be the key all-rounder given her recent form. Sneh Rana’s return strengthens the lower order and adds control, while Sree Charani and Radha Yadav give further variety. On subcontinental pitches, Harmanpreet will have plenty of spin options to choke scoring and attack the opposition.
The pace attack carries quality, but form and fitness remain a question. Though Renuka Singh Thakur’s return from a stress fracture is India’s biggest boost, a lot will be dependent on her form. The last time Thakur played an ODI was in December 2024 against West Indies, where she was named the player of the series. She will lead the attack, supported by Arundhati Reddy, while Amanjot Kaur offers seam-backup from the all-rounder slot. Kranthi Goud, the youngster who has been in stellar form and helped India seal the ODI series win with 6-52 in the decider match, will be an invaluable addition to the pace attack.
The boldest call is the omission of Shafali Verma. The selectors, citing form, have opted for continuity with Rawal. Shafali’s recent run-ODI scores of 52, 4, 36 and T20I returns of 41, 3, 3 was patchy. She remains in the system, but for now, consistency before a World Cup has outweighed potential.
This will be India’s first World Cup without Mithali Raj or Jhulan Goswami, the anchors of past finals campaigns. That leaves Harmanpreet and Mandhana to carry big-game decision-making. Encouragingly, recent pressure wins, such as the tri-series in Sri Lanka (Mandhana 264 runs, Jemimah 245, Rana 15 wickets) and the England tour clincher, where Harmanpreet scored 102 and pacer Kranti Gaud took 6/52, show this group can deliver in crunch moments.
Before the World Cup, India will play a 3-match ODI series against the mighty Australians, which will be the rehearsal the team needs before the big event. India open against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on September 30, followed by a marquee clash with Pakistan in Colombo on October 5. The final is scheduled for November 2.
India’s squad is coherent: the Mandhana–Rawal opening pair is settled, the spin unit is deep, and the all-rounders stretch resources. The test will be Renuka’s fitness and whether this younger core can hold nerve without Mithali and Jhulan’s calming presence. If the England-decider formula is continued, where the team believes in themselves, the Indian unit may not be far from winning their maiden title.
India’s Squad for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (WK), Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Sneh Rana.
Standbys: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Uma Chetry, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
