The 13th edition of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup brings more than just a trophy - it's a stage for record-chases, personal landmarks, and historic firsts. This edition also marks the end of the eight-team format, with expansion planned for future tournaments. Since its inception, fifteen teams have featured in the World Cup, though only three teams - England, Australia, and New Zealand have lifted the trophy. This 50-over World Cup will be the first senior ICC women's tournament to be hosted in the Indian subcontinent since 2016 (India hosted the ICC Women's T20 World Cup that year). India and Sri Lanka co-host the 2025 edition, with matches set to begin next week on September 30 in Guwahati. Below are the key milestones to watch this time.
Women's World Cup 2025: Milestones in store
Batting milestones to track
The return of the Women's World Cup to India and Sri Lanka could lead to the breaking of legendary records. Suzie Bates, Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt are among the notable players who aim to achieve historic achievements in runs and centuries.
New Zealand's Debbie Hockley holds the highest run tally record since the tournament's seventh edition in 2000, with 1501 runs. This figure is nearly eclipsed by Bates (1179 runs), who trails by just 322 runs. Bates is ready to break new ground due to the abundance of matches she has at her disposal. India's Harmanpreet (876) and England's Sciver-Brunt (805) are seasoned contenders for the top spot in the run-scoring leaderboard as well. In 2025, Bates is in prime contention to surpass Hockley's Women's World Cup record.
Top run-getters in the World Cups (among active players)
| Player | Inns | Runs | Ave | 100s | 50s | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW Bates (NZ-W) | 26 | 1179 | 56.14 | 4 | 5 | 168 |
| H Kaur (IND-W) | 22 | 876 | 51.52 | 3 | 4 | 171* |
| N Sciver-Brunt (ENG-W) | 17 | 805 | 57.5 | 4 | 2 | 148* |
| L Wolvaardt (SA-W) | 15 | 757 | 58.23 | 0 | 9 | 90 |
| TT Beaumont (ENG-W) | 18 | 687 | 38.16 | 1 | 3 | 148 |
| EA Perry (AUS-W) | 22 | 673 | 56.08 | 0 | 6 | 71 |
| SFM Devine (NZ-W) | 22 | 669 | 31.85 | 2 | 2 | 145 |
Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Bates, and Harmanpreet are all playing in their fifth World Cup, having debuted in 2009. Bates and Sciver-Brunt share the record for most World Cup centuries (4 each), while Harmanpreet has three and is just three sixes away from surpassing Deandra Dottin for the most in ODI World Cups. Since the last 50-over World Cup, only Sciver-Brunt and Kapp have averaged over 60 with a strike rate above 90, making them key players for their teams this year.
Tazmin Brits has scored three consecutive centuries in her last three innings, becoming the second player in Women's ODIs to do so after Amy Satterthwaite. She could match Satterthwaite's four centuries in South Africa's opening World Cup match against England on October 3.
Alyssa Healy's 509 runs in the 2022 World Cup are the most in a single edition. With sub-continent pitches offering batting-friendly conditions, historic milestones like Belinda Clark's 229* (1997) or Amelia Kerr's 232* (2018) could be challenged.
Bates (5895 runs) is on the verge of becoming the second-highest run-scorer in Women's ODIs by surpassing former England captain Charlotte Edwards (5992) and the second player to reach 6,000 career runs after Mithali Raj (7805). Bates also needs only 257 runs to become the leading run-getter by a Women's player across formats by surpassing Raj's record (10868 runs).
Perry, currently on 4329 runs in the ODI format, needs 516 runs to become the highest run-getter by an Australian woman by bettering Belinda Clark's (4844 runs). New Zealand skipper Devine needs 10 more runs for 4,000 ODI runs, and she will become the fourth White Fern batter to reach the milestone.
Bowling milestones to track
On the bowling front, Megan Schutt and Kapp are some of the bowling contenders who are threatening Jhulan Goswami's record. Goswami holds the record for most wickets in Women's World Cup history with 43, but that lead is under threat. Schutt (on 34 wickets), Kapp (on 32 wickets), and Perry (on 31wickets) are all within striking distance at this year's tournament. With several veterans possibly playing their final World Cup, a memorable showdown is set to unfold on the bowling front.
Top wicket-getters in the World Cups (among active players)
| Player | Mat | Wkts | Ave | Econ | SR | BBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Schutt (AUS-W) | 23 | 34 | 25.91 | 4.43 | 35.0 | 3/40 |
| M Kapp (SA-W) | 22 | 32 | 22.87 | 4.56 | 30.0 | 5/45 |
| EA Perry (AUS-W) | 25 | 31 | 25.45 | 4.35 | 35.0 | 3/19 |
| LMM Tahuhu (NZ-W) | 18 | 26 | 22.88 | 4.29 | 32.0 | 4/27 |
| S Ecclestone (ENG-W) | 9 | 21 | 15.61 | 3.83 | 24.4 | 6/36 |
Sophie Ecclestone, who holds the third-best bowling figures in Women's World Cup history, needs 12 more wickets to become England's second-highest ODI wicket-taker.
India's Deepti Sharma, with 140 wickets and 24 in 2024 alone, is just two wickets away from surpassing Neetu David to become India's second-highest and leading spinner in ODI history, behind only Jhulan Goswami (255).
The duo of Kapp (169 wickets) and Perry (166 wickets) also have another milestone in sight. They need 12 and 15 wickets, respectively, in this tournament to become the third-highest leading-wicket taker in the ODI format after Goswami (255) and Shabnim Ismail (191). Also, Perry (331 wickets) needs five more wickets to become the second most wicket-taker across formats after Goswami (355).
South African offspinner, Sune Luus, who has taken five 5-wicket hauls in ODIs, needs one more to equal West Indies' Anisa Mohammed (6) for the most in the format. Also, she needs two more of those to equal Anisa's nine across formats.
All the records Smriti Mandhana can break in 2025
Smriti Mandhana, the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024, is enjoying a phenomenal run of form in 2025. The stylish Indian opener recently notched up her 13th ODI century, placing her joint-second on the all-time list for most hundreds in Women's ODIs alongside Bates. Only Australia's Meg Lanning, with 15 centuries, stands ahead of her.
What makes Mandhana's feat even more impressive is that she has scored four of those centuries in the current year alone - matching her tally from 2024 - and equalling the record for the most ODI hundreds in a calendar year in Women's cricket. South Africa's Brits also shares this record with four tons in 2025.
She shall have a minimum of seven group games to go for three more hundreds to surpass Lanning's ODI record. She currently has 16 hundreds across formats and just needs one more century to equal Lanning's 17 centuries in women's internationals. Mandhana has smashed 23 sixes so far in 2025 in ODIs, which is only behind Lizelle Lee's 28 (in 2017) for the most sixes in a year in women's ODIs.
Mandhana's dominance doesn't end there. She has already amassed 928 runs in ODIs this year, putting her within striking distance of Belinda Clark's long-standing record of 970 runs in a single calendar year, set back in 1997. With several matches still to go in home conditions - where Mandhana traditionally thrives - there is a strong possibility she could surpass that milestone and become the highest run-scorer in a calendar year in Women's ODIs.
Most ODI runs in a calendar year
| Player | Year | Inns | Runs | Ave | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BJ Clark (AUS-W) | 1997 | 14 | 970 | 80.83 | 3 | 4 |
| S Mandhana (IND-W) | 2025 | 14 | 928 | 66.28 | 4 | 3 |
| L Wolvaardt (SA-W) | 2022 | 18 | 882 | 49.0 | 1 | 8 |
| DA Hockley (NZ-W) | 1997 | 16 | 880 | 62.85 | 2 | 6 |
| A Satterthwaite (NZ-W) | 2016 | 14 | 853 | 85.3 | 3 | 4 |
Mandhana (4888 runs) is also just 112 runs away from becoming the second Indian and fifth overall woman to reach 5000 ODI runs. She has 20 innings left to break Stafanie Taylor's record of being the fastest to the mark (129 innings). In terms of balls faced, Mandhana could become the quickest ever if she scores those 112 runs within the next 740 balls, surpassing Bates' 6182-ball mark.
Mandhana (9499 runs) will need 501 runs more to complete 10,000 runs across formats and become just the fourth women's player to reach the milestone after Raj (10868), Bates (10612), and Edwards (10273).
Despite her strong overall record, Mandhana hadn't scored an ODI century at home until 2024 - but since then, she's averaged over 70 with six centuries, the most by any batter in this period. Her tally now sits joint-second for most home ODI tons, just behind Tammy Beaumont (7). In 2025 alone, Mandhana has piled up 549 runs in six innings. She needs just 131 more to break Emily Drumm's record (679 in 2000) for most runs at home in a calendar year - and one more hundred to become the first woman with four home tons in a single year.
With more matches ahead, Mandhana's red-hot home form could be vital for India's buildup to major tournaments.
The Smririt Mandhana - Pratika Rawal opening combination
Indian openers Mandhana and Pratika Rawal are the only pair to score over 1,000 partnership runs in a calendar year in women's ODIs, with three century stands in 2025. They need two more to equal the record of five in a year, set by Australia's Clark and Lisa Keightley in 2000. South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt and Brits also have three century stands this year.
Mandhana and Pratika have added 917 runs at home in 2025, nearing the 1,000-run mark as an opening pair in India-something achieved by only three other pairs. They are 174 runs away from surpassing England's Beaumont-Jones (1090) for most home runs. With 686 runs already in India this year, they need just 14 more to break the record for most home runs by an opening pair in a calendar year, currently held by New Zealand's Suzie Bates-Rachel Priest (688 in 2015).
A high-scoring World Cup on cards
Overseas players are well-versed with Indian conditions, and recent high-scoring series like India vs Australia suggest this World Cup could see record totals. Australia's 412 for 3 in 1997 is the highest World Cup score, while the biggest chase is 278 against India in 2022-both likely to be challenged on batting-friendly pitches.
Australia, defending champions, are the most successful team with seven titles, followed by England (4) and New Zealand (1). India and the West Indies have reached finals but never won. No team has won back-to-back titles since Australia's three-peat from 1978 to 1988.
In 2025, Women's ODIs have seen the most 300+ totals and a record 30 individual centuries, with sixes (208) close to a new high. With strong batters across all eight teams, expect numerous milestones-from career records to big totals and standout bowling. Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the tournament promises a grand stage and a fitting finale for the eight-team format.
