New Delhi: The Indian womens cricket team has qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Womens World Cup 2025. In the match played at the DY Patil Academy in Navi Mumbai on Thursday (October 23) Team India defeated New Zealand by 53 runs under the DLS method. In this rain-affected match New Zealand was given a target of 325 runs in 44 overs but could only manage 271 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. Increased Confidence After the Win a Great Comeback in the Tournament India began the tournament brilliantly with wins over Pakistan and Sri Lanka but consecutive losses to South Africa England and Australia dampened their hopes of reaching the semi-finals. In this context the match against New Zealand became a ‘do or die’ encounter where under captain Harmanpreet Kaur the team staged a strong comeback and secured their place in the semi-finals. Who Will India Face in the Semi-finals? India will now play the semi-final at the DY Patil Stadium on October 30. The team is currently in fourth place in the points table which means it will face the top-ranked team in the semi-finals. The result of the match between Australia (11 points) and South Africa (10 points) will determine India’s next opponent. If Australia wins or the match is abandoned they will face India. Meanwhile England has already secured its place in the first semi-final. Mandhana and Pratika’s Partnership Laid the Foundation for the Win In India’s victory against New Zealand the pair of Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal played sensational innings. The duo shared a 212-run partnership for the first wicket. Pratika scored 122 runs while Mandhana scored a century with 109 runs. Following this Jemimah Rodrigues scored an unbeaten 76 runs helping India post a massive total of 340/3 in 49 overs. In reply the New Zealand team looked out of rhythm. Apart from Brooke Halliday (81) and Isabella Gaze (65) the other batters failed to perform. Now the Focus Is on the Title The Indian womens team is now very close to its first World Cup title. Buoyed by confidence and form the team will try its best to win against either Australia or South Africa in the semi-final and secure a place in the final. Story Highlights: India defeated New Zealand by 53 runs under the DLS method. Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal shared a 212-run partnership for the first wicket. India has secured its place in the semi-finals and will now face either Australia or South Africa. The team’s goal is now firmly set on winning its first Women’s World Cup title.