Colombo, October 6 (Udaipur Kiran): Team India captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed delight after India’s 88-run victory over Pakistan in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, calling it an “important win” for the team despite challenging batting conditions. The win marked India’s second consecutive triumph in the tournament.

Batting first, India struggled at 203/7, but Richa Ghosh’s quickfire 35 off 20 balls* helped the team post a competitive 247-run total.

Speaking after the match, Harmanpreet said,

“Honestly, it wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on. Our plan was to bat as long as possible and save wickets for the final overs. Due to the rain over the past two days, the pitch had become sticky, unlike during the tri-series earlier. We just wanted to stay patient and build a total.”

In the bowling department, Kranti Gaud emerged as the standout performer, dismantling Pakistan’s top order. She took 3 wickets for 20 runs, including early breakthroughs of Sadaf Shamas and Aliya Riaz, and was named Player of the Match.

Notably, Kranti made her ODI debut at the same ground earlier this year and had stunned everyone by taking four wickets in four balls during the domestic final in May.

Harmanpreet praised her bowlers, saying,

“Kranti bowled brilliantly today. Renuka supported well from the other end, maintaining a tight line and length to give us early breakthroughs.”

However, the skipper admitted that India’s fielding was below par, as the team dropped four catches, including three off Sidra Ameen, who top-scored for Pakistan.

“We were disappointed with our fielding. We missed several chances, but a win always brings happiness. We’ll definitely look to improve in that area,” she added.

Looking ahead, Harmanpreet said the team would focus on learning and improving with each match.

“Right now, we’ll enjoy this win. There are areas to work on, but returning to India will be helpful since we know those pitches better. We’ll assess the right combinations and look to get better game by game.”

India will next play South Africa on October 9 and Australia on October 12 in Visakhapatnam.