Harmanpreet Hails Bowlers as India Crush Pakistan by 88 Runs in Women’s World Cup Clash

Colombo, Oct 2025 : India captain Harmanpreet Kaur credited her bowlers for setting the stage for India’s emphatic 88-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 match at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. With this win, India maintained their unbeaten record against Pakistan in ODIs, making it 12 consecutive victories.

India, after being asked to bat first on a sluggish surface, posted a competitive total of 247 before bowling out Pakistan for 159. The bowling attack, led by Kranti Gaud and Deepti Sharma, who picked up three wickets each, delivered a clinical performance that dismantled Pakistan’s batting line-up.

“Very happy, it was an important game for all of us, and I’m sure everyone back home is happy too,” said Harmanpreet at the post-match presentation. “Our bowling was great today. Kranti bowled brilliantly, she was outstanding, and Renuka gave us crucial breakthroughs. We created a lot of chances — though we dropped a few — but in the end, when you win, you feel good.”

Harmanpreet acknowledged that batting was a challenge on the slow, rain-affected pitch but praised wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh for her late cameo that lifted the total. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on. We wanted to play deep and see how many runs we could get. The key was to keep wickets in hand. Richa batted really well and gave us those crucial 30 runs at the end,” she said.

The win propelled India to the top of the tournament standings. Looking ahead, Harmanpreet said the team aims to carry the winning momentum into their upcoming fixtures. “There are a lot of areas to improve, but we’re happy with the win. Now we head back to India; we know the pitches well there. We’ll look at the right combinations for our next matches against South Africa on October 9 and defending champions Australia on October 12 in Visakhapatnam,” she added.

Player of the Match Kranti Gaud, who returned impressive figures of 3 for 20, dedicated her performance to her hometown, Ghuwara in Madhya Pradesh. “It feels great. I’m proud to dedicate this performance to the people of my village,” she said. “They set up a big LED screen to watch the match. Didi (Harman) told me to remove one slip since the ball had gotten older, but I insisted on keeping it — and it worked. My coaches always give me simple advice, and I try to follow it.”

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana admitted her side conceded too many runs in crucial phases and failed to build partnerships. She, however, praised opener Sidra Amin for her fighting 81. “We gave away too many runs in the powerplay and at the death. We should have restricted them to under 200,” Fatima said. “Our specialist batters in the top order need to take more responsibility. We must focus on building longer partnerships and adapting to conditions. Sidra played really well, and I hope she continues her form.”

With this victory, India have not only strengthened their position in the tournament but also reaffirmed their dominance over Pakistan in women’s cricket.

Team Maverick.