More than 160 politicians of England had written a letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board to boycott England vs Afghanistan match of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 because of the treatment of women in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. However, this has reportedly been rejected by the ECB .

A letter from Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi to ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould said, "We strongly urge the England men's team players and officials to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban. We also urge the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan… to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated."

Also Read: ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 schedule announced

In response to the letter calling for a boycott, Gould said, "ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime" while suggesting it favours a uniform approach from all member nations rather than acting alone, according to Sky Sports report."

England protested over Taliban-ruled country

England has cited the laws and restrictions being brought against women by the Taliban government in this country as the reason for not playing the match against Afghanistan. England has called these decisions against humanity and has raised the issue of boycotting the match in protest.

Australia also refused to play with Afghanistan

England is not the first country to refuse to play match against Afghanistan due to the restrictions being imposed by the Taliban against women. Australia has also canceled a series with Afghanistan for the same reason.

Australia had also refused to play any bilateral series with Afghanistan. Now both these teams are also seen playing against each other in ICC tournaments only. They played each other at the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Afghanistan players had also expressed their displeasure towards Australian cricket regarding this.

Pakistan to host the tournament 

This time Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 from 19th February. The tournament has been in discussion for a long time regarding its venue. After BCCI's decision not to send Team India to Pakistan for this event, there was a long dispute regarding its venue.

After a lot of difficulties, the tournament has now been decided in hybrid model. All the matches will be held in Pakistan while India will play all its matches in Dubai. If India reaches the semi-finals or finals then these matches will also be played in Dubai. 

Also Read: India to play their 2025 ICC Champions Trophy matches at a neutral venue

England vs Afghanistan to be held on 26 February

England have been placed in Group B along with Afghanistan, Australia, and South Africa in the Champions Trophy 2025. The clash between England and Afghanistan is to be held on 26 February.

The 10th match of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 will be played between India Women and South Africa Women on Thursday, October 9th (Thursday), at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

India and South Africa are among the favourites to win the silverware this year. The Women in Blue had a brilliant start to their campaign with two successive wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and are currently at the top of the points table with four points and a net run rate of +1.757. 

Proteas, on the other hand, had a disappointing start to their campaign with a crushing defeat to England before making a strong comeback against New Zealand.

Here is everything you need to know before the India Women vs South Africa Women match 10 in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025.

Also Read: Visakhapatnam cricket stadium to inaugurate Mithali Raj and Raavi Kalpana stands ahead of India-Australia Women's World Cup match

Match Details

• Match: India Women vs South Africa Women
• Tournament: ICC Women's World Cup 2025, Match 10
• Date: 9 October 2025
• Time: 3:00 PM IST
• Venue: Dr. YS Rajashekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

Streaming Details

The India Women vs South Africa Women, ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Match 10 will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network. On TV, fans can watch the match on Star Sports' separate channels, Star Sports 1/HD and Star Sports Hindi/HD, with commentary in Hindi and English.

The match can be streamed live online on JioHotstar app or website.

India Women vs South Africa Women: Head-to-head stats

Team India and South Africa have faced off 33 times in the history of Women’s ODIs. In those 33 outings, the Women in Blue emerged victorious on 20 occasions, while the Proteas won 12 matches, with one match ending in no result.

In the Women’s ODI World Cup, India and South Africa met thrice in 1997, 2017, and 2022, with the Proteas winning in the last two face-offs, while India won the inaugural 1997 encounter.

Pitch Report: Dr. YS Rajashekhara Reddy Stadium

Dr. YS Rajashekhara Reddy Stadium is a new venue and has hosted a few white-ball matches. The pitch here has been brilliant for batting, with not much help in it for the bowlers. In the few matches played here, it has seen high scores being made and chased.

The team winning the toss prefers to bat first at this ground. Out of 15 ODI matches played at this ground, the team batting won three times while chasing side came out victorious on 10 occasions.

Weather Report

The weather forecast in Vizag for Thursday shows heavy thunderstorms with 40 to 50 percent precipitation. The temperature will fluctuate between 28 and 31°C with average humidity around 85 percent and 6 km/h wind speed.

Possible Lineups

India Women: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur.

South Africa Women: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.

Also Read: 5 Highest Totals in Women’s ODI Cricket History

India Women vs South Africa Women Match Prediction

India and South Africa are expected to put their best foot forward in the upcoming clash of the Women’s World Cup 2025, as both teams look to gain an advantage early in the tournament. Both teams are likely to rely on their key players to deliver, but the match could depend on how well the top and middle order batters handle pressure and the bowlers control the middle overs.

Given the head-to-head record in ODIs and the last five meetings between the two sides, India will start as favourites to continue their winning streak. However, South Africa are expected to put up a good fight and could spring a surprise if their key batters fire and their bowlers execute disciplined plans, especially in the powerplay and middle order.

The Indian women and Pakistani women's cricket teams are set for another high-voltage clash at the ICC Women's World Cup 2025. Fans are eagerly awaiting this clash, which will take place on Sunday, October 5th, at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This on-field contest is expected to be even more exciting due to the recent disputes between the two countries' cricket boards.

Both teams began their World Cup campaigns in contrasting fashion. Hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 59 runs. In contrast, Pakistan, collapsed against Bangladesh, losing by seven wickets in a match where they struggled against both pace and spin.

India currently occupy the fourth spot after all teams have played a game each. The Women in Blue will eye the opportunity to boost their net run rate, which becomes crucial at the fag end of the tournament.

Here is everything you need to know before the India Women vs Pakistan Women match 6 in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025.

Also Read: 5 Highest Totals in Women’s ODI Cricket History

Match Details

• Match: India Women vs Pakistan Women
• Tournament: ICC Women's World Cup 2025, Match 6
• Date: 5 October 2025
• Time: 3:00 PM IST
• Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Streaming Details

The India Women vs Pakistan Women, ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Match 6 will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network. On TV, fans can watch the match on Star Sports' separate channels, Star Sports 1/HD and Star Sports Hindi/HD, with commentary in Hindi and English.

The match can be streamed live online on JioHotstar app or website.

India Women vs Pakistan Women: Head-to-head stats

Since their first encounter, the Indian women’s team has consistently maintained a winning record against Pakistan. The two sides have met in a total of 11 ODI matches, and India has won all 11, maintaining a perfect record. This includes four World Cup encounters, where Pakistan has yet to register a victory.

Pitch Report: R Premadasa Stadium

The R Premadasa Stadium is known to favor batters, with many high-scoring matches played at the venue. However, fast bowlers can exploit some help early on, while the spinners will come into play as the game progresses.

Weather Report

Heavy rain is expected early in the day, but it should dissipate during match hours. While the threat of rain looms over the game, we are expecting a full game to be played out in humid conditions. The temperature is expected to be in the late twenties throughout the day.

Possible Lineups

India Women: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani.

Pakistan Women: Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz(w), Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana(c), Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal.

Also Read: 5 Highest Scores by a Batter in ICC Women’s World Cup

India Women vs Pakistan Women Match Prediction

India Women started the tournament as expected with a win over co-hosts Sri Lanka. They were given a bit of a challenge by their opponents, however. They are expected to perform better as a unit as the tournament progresses and should have more than enough for Pakistan.

Pakistan Women suffered a shock defeat in their opening match of the tournament. Bangladesh Women repeated the exploits from their maiden ODI World Cup in 2022 by handing them a 7-wicket defeat in Colombo. Sidra Amin and Fatima Sana will need to lead from the front if they are to immediately bounce back from their shock loss.

In the long history of cricket, there have been only a few players who have achieved the No.1 position in the ICC rankings in all three formats - Test, ODI, and T20I. Looking at their stats and numbers it won’t be a difficult task to rank these players based on their performances and their abilities to turn the match around with their match-winning performance.

Let's have a look at those players who achieved No.1 ICC rankings in all formats.

Also Read: Indian Men's cricketers to win ICC player of the month award

Players who achieved No.1 ICC rankings in all

1. Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting became the first player to achieve number one ranking in each format. He scored 98 runs in the first ever T20I match played between Australia and New Zealand in Auckland in February 2005 and achieved the number one ranking in the format. Although he couldn't remain at the top for long.

Apart from that, Ponting has been crowned as number one batter in the ODI format for three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007, Ponting also achieved the number ranking in Tests for the first time in 2003. 

2. Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden is ranked among the most explosive opening batters in the world. He is also one of the few players to rank number one in all three formats of the game although not at the same time. The southpaw was the leading run-scorer of both the ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup in 2007 with 659 runs and 265 runs to his name respectively.

Hayden has 30 Test centuries to his name along with ten ODI hundreds. Apart from that, in his short T20I career, Hayden has good numbers with 308 runs to his name from nine innings at an average of 51.33 with four half-centuries.

3. Virat Kohli

Star cricketer Virat Kohli was first player from India to get the highest ICC ranking in every format of the game. Kohli had his best years as an international cricketer in the decade of 2010s. He first achieved the number one ranking in the ODI format in November 2013. After that, he went on to rule the 50-over format and remained as number 1 ODI batter in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively.

Apart from the ODIs, Virat Kohli won player of the tournament in the 2014 T20 World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup respectively and also finished as number one batter in the shorter format in both the years. Talking about the Test format, Kohli was crowned as number one batter in the longest format in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

4. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is considered as once in a generation player and has achieved several milestones in his nine-year international career so far. Making his international debut in January 2016, Bumrah achieved the number spot in ICC T20I bowlers’ ranking in January 2018 for a short period of time.

After the T20Is, Bumrah also became the nightmare for the batters in the ODI format and was crowned as number one ODI bowler by the ICC rankings in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Bumrah was also crowned as number 1 Test bowler by the ICC ranking in 2023 and 2024 respectively and is still holding the spot in the format as of 2025.

Also Read: Top 10 most watched cricket matches in history

5. Shakib al Hasan

The former Bangladesh ODI captain is one of the greatest cricketers to emerge from his nation. Shakib al Hasan is the leading run scorer for his side in T20Is with 2382 runs from 116 innings. The left-arm spinner is also the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in all three formats having 233 wickets in Tests, 317 wickets in ODIs and 140 scalps in T20Is.

He further has the third most runs for his nation in both ODIs (7570) and Tests (4454) stamping his authority as a true all-rounder. Notably, the southpaw is the second player to rank number one in all three formats at the same time as he took the top spot in the all-rounder rankings across formats in June 2015.

The ICC Women's World Cup is one of the oldest forms of World Championship cricket as the first-ever tournament was held in 1973 in England. The first-ever women's World Cup was won in 1973 by England as well. Australia has been the most successful team in the World Cup as they have successfully won the tournament seven times. Through this article, we will take a look at the top 5 highest scores by a batter in ICC Women’s World Cup.

Also Read: ICC Women's World Cup Past Winners & Most Successful Teams

Highest scores by a batter in ICC Women’s World Cup

1. Belinda Clark | 229 vs Denmark

Australia Women's captain Belinda Clark still holds the record for the only double-century in the Women’s ODI World Cup, while she scored 229 not out against Denmark Women in the 1997 edition. She took 155 balls to score those runs, while she hit 22 fours. There were also two 60s, as Australia Women recorded 412/3 in 50 overs, while the opponents were bundled out for only 49 runs.  

2. Chamari Athapaththu | 178* vs Australia

During the Women’s World Cup 2017 league stage match against Australia Women, Sri Lankan top-order Chamari Athapaththu scored 178 not out off 143 balls with 22 fours and six sixes that helped Sri Lanka Women to score 257/9 in 50 overs. However, they lost the match by eight wickets with 37 balls remaining. 

3. Charlotte Edwards | 173* vs Ireland

During the Women’s World Cup 1997 league stage fixture against Ireland Women, English opener Charlotte Edwards slammed 173 not out off 155 balls with 19 fours. She also got support from the other players, as England Women scored 324/3 in 50 overs, and they won the match by 208 runs. 

4. Harmanpreet Kaur | 171* vs Australia

During the Women’s World Cup 2017 Semi-final, when India were facing Australia Women, the Indian star Harmanpreet Kaur had a single-handed battle and she scored 171 not out off 115 balls with 20 fours and seven sixes. Her powerful batting helped India Women to score 281/4 in the 42-over game, and they won that fixture by 36 runs. 

Also Read: Top 10: Most runs in ICC Women's World Cup

5. Stafanie Taylor | 171 vs Sri Lanka

During the Women’s World Cup 2013 group stage match, West Indies cricketer Stafanie Taylor scored 171 runs from 137 balls against Sri Lanka Women with the help of 18 fours and two sixes. There were also crucial supports from Kyshona Knight (44 off 67 balls), Deandra Dottin (50 off 22 balls), and captain Merissa Aguilleira (47* off 24 balls), as West Indies Women scored 368/8 in 50 overs in the first innings, and later they won by 209 runs. 

Mohammed Siraj has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2025, following his match-winning performance in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval. The right-armer, who bowled 46 overs in the Test, was also named Player of the Match for his efforts. Siraj beat competition from New Zealand pacer Matt Henry and West Indies quick Jayden Seales to clinch the monthly honour.

Let's have a look at all the Indian men's cricketers who won ICC Player of the Month award. Some have won the award more than once.

Also Read: Asia Cup Winners List from 1984 to 2023

 ICC Player of the Month Award Winners

9. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj won the ICC Player of the Month award in August 2025. It is worth noting that Siraj’s exceptional performance in India’s tour of England and his brilliance in the clash held at The Oval were among the biggest reasons why Siraj won award. Siraj took three wickets on the final day of the last test of the series against England, which helped the Indian team register a brilliant win. 

Siraj produced a stunning nine-wicket haul across both innings to help India level the five-Test series 2-2. His second-innings burst included a decisive five-wicket haul that dismantled England’s batting order and sealed victory for the visitors.

8. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal bagged the ICC Player of the Month Award for his sensational performance in the Test series against England in March 2024. Jaiswal beat New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka for the award.

Jaiswal was also named the player of the series in England's 5-Test tour against India. The batter scored 712 runs in 5 Test matches, surpassing Virat Kohli's tally of most runs in a single Test series vs England. Jaiswal also became only the second India batter after Sunil Gavaskar to hit 700+ runs in a series.

7. Virat Kohli

Star batter Virat Kohli was named the ICC Player of the Month for October 2022 following a series of stellar performances during India's charge to the T20 World Cup semifinals in Australia. He scored 205 runs with the bat. Apart from scoring a brilliant half-century against Netherlands in Sydney, he produced an unforgettable innings in the stunning victory over Pakistan in front of a capacity crowd at the MCG to kick off their campaign in style.

At 31 for four, Kohli asserted his dominance on the opposition bowlers in a memorable display of controlled aggression, helping his side to chase down the 160 targets on the final ball, thanks to his unbeaten 82 from 53 balls.

6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the ICC Player of the Month award in March 2021 for his superlative show in the limited overs series against England. Bhuvi took six wickets at an economy rate of 4.65 in the three ODIs, while capturing four wickets at a fantastic economy rate of 6.38 in the five T20Is to emerge as the standout bowler on either side in the white ball series. 

Bhuvneshwar became the third successive Indian recipient of the award since its inception early this year. 

5. Ravichandran Ashwin 

Ravichandran Ashwin has won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for February 2021 after his all-round display in the Test series against England. Ashwin not only finished as the top wicket-taker in the 3-1 series win against England, but also scored his seventh Test century. 

Ashwin scored 176 runs in the three matches in February and took 24 wickets in the month. He also became the second-fastest bowler in history to 400 Test wickets, behind only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

Also Read: ICC tournaments hosted by India – History & Highlights

4. Rishabh Pant

The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has won the inaugural ICC Player of the Month award 2021. Pant has been honoured for his superlative performances in the two Tests against Australia in January 2021, wherein he scored a 97 at Sydney and an unbeaten 89 at Brisbane.

Pant was chosen ahead of England captain Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling in the voting to bag the award. Pant's innings helped India to become the first team in 32 years to beat Australia at the Gabba in Test cricket. 

3. Shreyas Iyer | 2 Times

Shreyas Iyer was named as ICC Men's Player of the Month twice in February 2022 and March 2025 for his performance during India's triumphant Champions Trophy 2025.

With 172 runs coming at an average of 57.33 during the final three games of the Champions Trophy, Iyer was a leading light for India as they secured a landmark third win in the competition’s history. He ended the tournament as the second-highest scorer with 243 runs at an average of 48.60.

2. Jasprit Bumrah | 2 Times

Jasprit Bumrah was crowned as the winner of the ICC Player of the Month Award for two times in December and June 2024. Bumrah won the prize twice in the calendar year. Bumrah's incredible display in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) was rewarded by the ICC in December 2024. Previously he won the top honour in June 2024 following his heroic display in the T20 World Cup 2024.

1. Shubman Gill | 4 Times

Indian Test team captain Shubman Gill was named ICC Player of the Month four times - in January 2023, September 2023, February 2025, and July 2025. He is also the first male player to win the award four times. Gill was also named in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year in 2023.

His latest win came after an amazing performance in Test matches against England in July 2025, where he showed outstanding batting skills as India's newly appointed Test captain. 

Gill finished as the leading run scorer of the series, having scored 754 runs from ten innings at an average of 75.4 with four hundreds to his name. He started the series with a magnificent 147 at Headingley, Leeds and further accumulated 430 runs (269, 161) in the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, the second-highest match aggregate in the format.