Renuka Thakur was the standout bowler for the Women in Blue as he registered figures of 2/25 at an economy rate of 4.20 in her spell of six overs. Kranti Gaud too picked two wickets while conceding 48 runs at an economy rate of 5.30 in nine overs. Apart from Renuka and Kranti, Sneh Rana, Shree Charanai, Pratika Rawal, and Deepti Sharma chipped in with a wicket each.

As Team India qualified for the semifinal, let’s take a look at key takeaways from the Women in Blue’s victory over New Zealand in a crucial clash.

Team India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana delivered her best performance of the Women’s World Cup 2025 in a crucial clash against New Zealand. The 29-year-old played a brilliant innings of 109 off 95 balls to put the Women in Blue in a commanding position after being put to bat first by the White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine. Mandhana registered her 14th ODI century, the second-most by a batter in the history of Women’s ODIs.

Smriti Mandhana has scored three World Cup centuries, the most by any Indian woman batter in the history of the tournament. Additionally, the southpaw equalled former Australia captain Meg Lanning’s record for the most international centuries in women’s cricket. With 17th international ton, Mandhana further cemented her status as one of the all-time greats in women’s cricket. It was quite a day for Smriti Mandhana as she dominated the New Zealand bowling attack and put India in a strong position, setting a foundation for a memorable win.

Pratika Rawal could not have asked for a better time to record her maiden Women’s World Cup century than in a must-win clash against New Zealand. Rawal played a brilliant knock of 122 off 134 balls, including 13 fours and 2 sixes, and formed a commanding 212-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana, who anchored India’s innings before her dismissal.

Pratika’s form was under scrutiny due to inconsistent performance in the ongoing Women’s World Cup, scoring just one fifty in the previous five outings, despite being an opener, before rising to the occasion in a crucial match against New Zealand, proving her class and resilience while helping Team India post a daunting total on the board.

Jemimah Rodrigues was criticized for poor performances in the Women’s World Cup and was dropped from the playing XI for the previous clash against England to accommodate an extra pacer in Renuka Singh Thakur. However, in a crucial clash against New Zealand, Rodrigues returned to the playing XI by replacing Amanjot Kaur and made a vital contribution to India’s massive total on the board.

Walking in to bat at No.3 after Smriti Mandhana’s dismissal, Rodrigues dominated the New Zealand bowling attack while forming a 76-run partnership with Pratika Rawal before the opener’s dismissal at 288/2. After Harmanpreet Kaur walked out to bat, Jemimah Rodrigues anchored India’s innings and played a brilliant, unbeaten knock of 76 off 55 balls, including 11 fours, guiding India to a formidable total of 340/3 and ensuring a solid platform for bowlers to defend.

The Indian bowling attack was quite impressive as they did not let the New Zealand batters gain any momentum throughout their 325-run chase. The Women in Blue’s new-ball bowlers Renuka Singh Thakur and Kranti Gaud gave a difficult time to the White Ferns as they conceded just 14 runs from the first six overs of their innings. Indian bowlers put pressure on New Zealand, who were struggling to keep up with the scoring rate required to chase down the revised target.

Though Brooke Halliday and Isabella Gaze shared a 72-run stand for the sixth wicket, it did not give any real momentum for New Zealand, as tight bowling from India kept the required run rate climbing. The collective bowling effort was complemented by sharp fielding, with players saving crucial runs and taking sharp catches that applied constant pressure on New Zealand batters.

Team India was on a three-match losing streak before entering the crucial clash against New Zealand. Having lost three consecutive matches against South Africa, Australia, and England, the Women in Blue were on the verge of an exit from the tournament and needed a big win to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

Harmanpreet Kaur-led side finally ended their losing streak with a victory over New Zealand to seal the last semifinal berth. Team India will aim to conclude their group stage on a high when they face Bangladesh at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, October 26.