Tri-Nation Series 2025: India vs South Africa Women's ODI Match Report | The Indian team march victories over the South Africans in a thrilling cricket match
India defeated South Africa by 15 runs in the second match of the Tri-Nation ODI series as they defended an imposing total, powered by a superb 78 from Pratika Rawal and solid contributions from the top 5.
India continue their winning run in the Tri-Nation Women's ODI series by defeating South Africa by 15 runs. After posting a daunting total of 276, with a stand out performance from Pratika Rawal scoring 78 of 91 balls, the South Africans came out with intent in the second half.
Tazmin Britz's century gave real hope to the South Africans, but she had to retire hurt due to cramps. The Indian team took crucial wickets during key moments and turned the match in their favor.
India set a strong total with a team effort
Smriti Mandhana(left) and Pratika Rawal(right) giving a good start to India's innings. Image | Outlook
India posted a strong total, thanks to a brilliant 78 from Pratika Rawal, who became the fastest to reach 500 ODI runs in women's cricket. Both Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues scored 41 runs pushing the total to 276.
For South Africa, Nonkululeko Mlaba was the standout bowler with two wickets. Most of the others took one each, except Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon. However, Annerie Dercksen was quite expensive with the ball, which may have made the difference in the end.
South Africa starts strong but suffers setbacks
Chasing a big target, South Africa's openers came out firing, putting pressure on the Indian bowlers from the start. They made the most of the powerplay and built a strong 140-run stand, putting their team in a good position.
Laura Wolvaardt got a good start before getting out, while Tazmin Brits was in great form, scoring a brilliant century with ease. She got good support from Sune Luus for a while, but Luus’s dismissal came at a tough moment. Things got worse when Brits had to retire hurt due to cramps, with about 100 runs still needed.
The turning point
Sneh Rana(right) celebrating her wicket in the match. Image | Jagran English
That moment Brits retired hurt was the turning point of the match as India took full advantage by taking key wickets. Chloe Tryon and Annerie Dercksen tried to keep South Africa in the game with some big hits. But things changed completely in the 48th over when Sneh Rana dismissed both batters and also removed Tazmin Brits, who had returned.
Rana finished with a brilliant five-wicket haul, while Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, and Deepti Sharmatook one wicket each.
South Africa, despite being in control for most of the chase, lost their last six wickets for just 21 runs and fell short by 15 runs in a match they seemed set to win.
Sneh Rana was named the Player of the Match for her fantastic fifer. She said she focused on using variations and taking the pace off the ball, just like her captain and the team had advised.
She added that she never gives up and always tries to give her best whenever the team needs her.
India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the team gave their 100% from the very first ball. She highlighted fielding as the key difference, saying they saved at least 20 runs.
She ended by saying she’s very happy with the bowlers, who gave everything to help secure the win.
Mita Paul’s all-round performance helps Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers clinch Bengal Women's Pro T20 League for the successive seasons
Mita Paul's brilliant all-round performance helped Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers clinch the Bengal Women's Pro T20 League for the second time in a row, beating the Sobisco Smashers Malda.
Mita Paul going for a big shot. Image | CAB on Facebook
Named Player of the Match, Mita Paul’s performance was nothing short of legendary, blazing an innings of 51 runs off just 52 balls and then slicing through the opposition with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for just 12 runs in a miserly spell of 3 overs. Her heroics not only anchored her team’s innings but also dismantled the Malda batting line-up when it mattered most.
Batting first, Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers were bowled out for 104 in 19.5 overs. Apart from Mita’s knock, Parna Paul chipped in with a useful 14. For the Sobisco Smashers, Jeni Parveen was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 8, but her efforts fell short in the face of Mita’s dominance.
Image | CAB on Facebook
In reply, Sobisco Smashers Malda collapsed to 22 for 4 in just 5.2 overs, failing to cope with the twin spin threats of Mita Paul and Prativa Mandi (2-0-10-2). None of the Malda batters could reach double digits, underlining the complete dominance of the Tigers’ bowling unit.
This electrifying win cements Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers’ reputation as fierce competitors and showcases Mita Paul as a true match-winner, rising to the occasion when it mattered most.
Indian batters to score an international ton in all formats: Smriti Mandhana joins an elite list
With her maiden T20I ton against England in Nottingham, Smriti Mandhana has now become the first Indian woman and sixth overall Indian batter to score an international ton in all formats.
Indian Women's batter Smriti Mandhana became the latest batter to score international centuries in all formats of the game. With her maiden T20I ton against England in Nottingham, Smriti has now become the sixth Indian and the first Indian woman batter to have the achievement.
Smriti Mandhana played a sensational 112-run inning from just 62 balls, which included 15 fours and 3 sixes. This is also the highest score by any Indian Women player in T20Is. The previous best was Harmanpreet Kaur's 103 against New Zealand in 2018.
Earlier in the day, Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the first T20I of the series as a precaution taken by the team after she suffered a head injury during the practice game against the ECB Select XI. Sneh Rana handed the debut cap to left-arm spinner N Shree Charani.
Harleen Kaur also scored a quick-fire 43 from 23 balls, to help India score 210/5 in the first inning.
Young guns at the top, perfect lengths, experience in the middle: Pune Warriors set a T20 blueprint at Women's Maharashtra Premier League
Without many superstars in the team, Pune Warriors won 7 out of 7 games to win the Women's Maharashtra Premier League 2025. Gaanesh Tyagi, the analyst of the team, shared the blueprint of the win with Sportz Point.
Seven out of seven wins. Invincible Pune Warriors defeated all the odds to come out victorious in the Women's Maharashtra Premier League 2025.
While other franchises had big names, such as Smriti Mandhana, Tejal Hasabnis, and Kiran Navgire, among many other stars of the women's game, Pune Warriors had a clear plan and strategy.
With only prominent names in Anuja Patil and Shweta Mane, the Pune Warriors Women's team depended on clear thoughts, executions and camaraderie to win the league. Team analyst Gaanesh Tyagi shared all the secrets in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.
Gaanesh is a high performance analyst from Mumbai, who has worked for more than 10 T20 franchise teams. He was also the analyst of the Mumbai Cricket team, which won their first ever Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in 2023.
The team combination: All-rounders, effectiveness and youth
Even before stepping onto the field to win the tournament, teams must first succeed in a different battle during the draft or auction. This is where many teams secure half of their victory. Women’s cricket has different demands than men’s cricket, and in T20 cricket, the need for strong all-rounders reaches its peak.
With captain Anuja Patil being the perfect all-rounder for the team, the coaching staff opted for additional all-rounders to effectively manage the middle overs.
"The entire coaching staff and captain Anuja Patil were involved in building the team. We aimed to have more all-rounders while also featuring skilled individuals for every situation in the game,” Gaanesh explained to Sportz Point.
During their initial meeting with the players, captain Anuja and the coaching staff discussed a comprehensive plan for winning the tournament. This provided every player with a clear roadmap and clarity on how they needed to prepare for each aspect of the game.
"In that first meeting, we talked about how we should be winning the tournament. Each player knew their role within the team, which helped provide a clear roadmap for everyone,” Gaanesh added.
This phrase has become quite popular in world cricket. Even in the Indian Premier League, the team with the superior bowling combination often performs better. Analysts play a crucial role here by offering insights on optimal lengths, lines, speeds, and determining who should bowl at various stages of the game.
For Pune Warriors, prior to each match, analysts would provide each bowler with a specific plan to tackle all potential batters they might face.
"In women’s cricket, understanding lengths is crucial. Knowing what length to bowl against which batter is key. We had strategies for each opponent.
"So, it was all about execution on the field, which our bowlers accomplished successfully. That’s why we had two bowlers, Chinmayee Bhorpale (the Purple Cap winner) and Anuja Patil, in the top five highest wicket-takers list," Gaanesh stated.
When you have a young and relatively inexperienced team, it’s essential to have someone who can guide each player. Just as the Rajasthan Royals had Shane Warne, Pune Warriors had Anuja Patil.
Anuja, who has played 50 T20Is for the Indian national team, possesses the knowledge necessary to win cricket matches. With her leadership, every young player learned how to approach each match to achieve victory.
"We affectionately called her the 'Boss Lady.'
The entire team respected and followed her decisions. In tournaments like this, a clear direction is crucial, and Anuja provided the guidance we needed with her experience."
Balancing the mix of youth and experience in team building can be challenging. Some players on the squad were born after Anuja and Shweta Mane began their cricket careers.
There was a noticeable gap in age and experience, so the team needed to blend these elements effectively to perform at their best.
Both Anuja and Mane acted as both friends and firm mentors, fostering a harmonious environment that brought out the best in young players like 17-year-old Akshaya Jadhav, 16-year-old Suhani Kahandal, and U-23 player Khushi Mulla, who ended up being the fourth-highest run-scorer of the tournament.
"Youth at the top and experince in the middle"
Although the powerplay and death overs seem to be entertaining, it is the middle overs that decide the winner in a T20 game. Be it with the bat or ball, the 7-15 overs of a T20I game are the most crucial overs.
That is why Pune Warriors had the plan of having the most experienced players playing the middle order, be it with the bat or ball.
That even allowed youngsters like Khushi Mulla, Suhani Kahandal and Akshaya Jadhav to have the freedom to enjoy the game.
"The middle overs control the outcome of the game. We even saw Smriti Mandhana batting in the middle order for Ratnagiri Jets. So, from the start of the tournament, we wanted to have experince in the middle overs and youth at the top," Gaanesh explained.
"Discipline, calmness and execution"
Winning all seven of your games is a significant challenge, and in T20 cricket, it’s nearly impossible to maintain that momentum throughout.
However, according to Gaanesh, if the team maintains discipline, calmness, and focuses on execution, the chances of not losing become greater.
He recounted the last over of the final match against Solapur Smashers: “We needed to defend 9 from 6 and it became 4 from 4. But we kept calm under pressure and executed well to win the title.”
Whenever a team without many superstars win any tournament, there comes a question of whether they will be able to continue that in the next season. We have seen it with the Rajasthan Royals in the past as well.
Since winning the inaugural season, they have not been able to win any trophies. What's the secret sauce to keep winning?
"Process," Gaanesh said.
He feels all the youngsters who got a bit of fame and name from this season need to aim for bigger goals and achievements. This is how they will be able to keep them ready for next season. Most importantly, they need to focus on the process which has given them results.
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 Full Schedule announced; India to face Pakistan on October 5
The ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 schedule was revealed on Monday, with hosts India and Sri Lanka slated to play the opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on September 30.
The schedule of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 has been released. The Women's World Cup will begin on September 30 with hosts India playing their first match against Sri Lanka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The eight-team tournament will be a round-robin format with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals. The much-awaited final will be played on November 2. Australia will begin their campaign against New Zealand on October 1 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.
India vs Pakistan Match details
Due to tension between India and Pakistan, Pakistan will play all its matches in Colombo, Sri Lanka under the hybrid hosting model agreed upon by BCCI and PCB. In such a situation, the teams playing with Pakistan including India will go to Colombo, which is a neutral venue.
The most awaited match of the group stage between India and Pakistan will be played on 5th October in Colombo.
Women's Cricket World Cup 2025: Venues
India : Bengaluru, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam
Sri Lanka : Colombo
The tournament will be held at five major venues in the two countries. Bengaluru and Colombo have been shortlisted as potential hosts for the final.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the Indian Women's Cricket team squad for the upcoming England tour starting June 28th, 2025.
The Women in Blue will play five T20Is and three ODIs against the England Women's Cricket team.
Harmanpreet Kaur was named the captain of the both squads. Meantime, Smriti Mandhana was named the vice captain of the team.
Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare are a few of the new names in the squad who were not part of the Tri-Nation series-winning squad for India. Shafali Verma returned to the T20I squad after missing out for a few months due to being off form.
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