Shafali Verma replaces injured Pratika Rawal and returns to the top of the order
India likely to play six bowlers to strengthen their attack
Harmanpreet Kaur expected to bat at No. 3 for stability
India will face Australia in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 semifinal on October 30 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The match promises to be a blockbuster, but India have a few big selection decisions to make before the game.
In their league meeting earlier in the tournament, India posted a huge 330 runs but still lost because their bowling couldn’t contain Australia’s batting power. That game made it clear that India might need to rethink their combination, especially in the bowling department.
India to Play Without Pratika Rawal
With opener Pratika Rawal ruled out of the tournament, India are set to bring back Shafali Verma at the top. She will open alongside Smriti Mandhana, who has been in great touch throughout the World Cup.
Harmanpreet Kaur is expected to bat at No. 3 to provide stability, followed by Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh. Richa’s role could be flexible, if India bat first, she might be promoted up the order to take on the Australian bowlers early instead of just finishing the innings.
Strengthening the Bowling Attack
India are likely to go with six bowling options this time, learning from their earlier mistakes. Radha Yadav, who impressed with three wickets against Bangladesh, should return to the XI.
The attack is expected to include Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, and Amanjot Kaur, giving India a better mix of pace and spin. Unfortunately, Sree Charani could miss out despite performing decently so far.
India's Likely XI Against Australia For ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Semi-Final 2
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur
