New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS): Former India cricketer and selector Saba Karim believes the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will face its biggest challenges in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup not against arch-rivals Pakistan, but when playing top-tier teams like Australia, England, South Africa, and New Zealand.
India come into the clash after a 59-run win over Sri Lanka, and another strong performance against Pakistan, who recently suffered a seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh, could boost their net run rate before tougher group-stage matches.
“No, not at all. I think the toughest clash for India would be against the top teams, mainly Australia, England, South Africa, and New Zealand. Pakistan has come through the qualifiers, and when they face a team like India, I don’t think India would be overly concerned at this stage,” Karim, a JioStar expert, told IANS during a virtual interaction on Friday.
The India–Pakistan fixture at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday will draw significant attention, marking the fourth consecutive encounter between the two sides after their three recent meetings in the Men’s T20 Asia Cup. Like their male counterparts, Harmanpreet and her team are expected to skip post-match handshakes, as ICC regulations do not mandate them.
While India’s win over Sri Lanka was aided by the all-round contributions of Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma, concerns remain about their bowling depth. India’s five-bowler setup sufficed in that match, but a sixth bowling option will be needed against stronger opponents. Karim suggested opener Pratika Rawal and skipper Harmanpreet could share this responsibility when main bowlers are taken apart.
India’s batting also exposed a potential weakness: the scoring rate tends to slow if in-form Smriti Mandhana falls early. In the Guwahati game, Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol managed only 38 runs off 70 balls together, struggling against tight bowling and fielding. Karim emphasized the need for a flexible batting order to maintain momentum, suggesting that the team management could promote Harmanpreet or Harleen depending on early dismissals.
“Flexibility in the batting order will help India maintain scoring momentum in the middle overs, especially if Smriti Mandhana gets out early,” he said.
India will face Pakistan on October 5 in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, live on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network.
