Women's WC 2025: Hundreds aplenty, sixes galore, and fielding struggles
India claimed their maiden ICC Women's Cricket World Cup title on home soil, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final, with Deepti Sharma's all-round show throughout the competition being a major highlight. India became the fourth team to win the Women's World Cup, joining Australia (7 titles), England (4 titles), and New Zealand (1 title).
Run scoring surge
The tournament featured record run rates. This Women's World Cup 2025 as a whole was the first to be completed at an average run-rate of greater than five runs per over (5.14). In 31 matches, there were 15 individual centuries, the most in a single edition, surpassing 14 in 2017, and the highest average first-innings total (235) in World Cup history. There were eight 300-plus totals, which is the most recorded in an edition - the double of what was in the 2022 World Cup. This edition saw 21 batters cross 200 runs, and 20 of them scored at a strike rate over 75. In comparison, the previous World Cup edition had only 15 out of the 19 batters who scored 200-plus have a strike rate above 75. The average score of 47 in the first 10 overs, too, stands the highest for any edition. Subcontinental venues and aggressive intent from batters fuelled a record 133 sixes across the tournament - 22 more than the previous record set in 2017.
This World Cup saw a six every 100 balls-the highest rate in the tournament's history. This edition saw the balls-per-boundary ratio drop below ten (9.8), a first in World Cup history. The average runs per wicket stood at 28.23, the second-highest after 2017. Australia led the scoring rate with 6.28 runs per six balls, followed by India (6.01). Navi Mumbai was the most batter-friendly venue, averaging 5.71 runs per six balls, ahead of Holkar Stadium's 5.53. The edition also featured the two highest run chases in Women's cricket history. Australian batters scored six centuries, the most by a team in any edition.
Batting stats across the last five editions of the Women's World Cup
| Edition | Mats | Runs/Wkt | Run rate | Bnd% | Sixes hit | 300+ totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | 28.23 | 5.14 | 10.23 | 133 | 8 |
| 2022 | 31 | 27.33 | 4.68 | 7.43 | 52 | 4 |
| 2017 | 30 | 29.18 | 4.69 | 8.74 | 111 | 3 |
| 2013 | 25 | 23.94 | 4.27 | 8.7 | 67 | 2 |
| 2009 | 8 | 24.86 | 3.9 | 7.06 | 12 | 1 |
Laura Wolvaardt topped the batting charts with over 570 runs - the most by a batter in a single edition. And she became only the second batter to hit a ton in both the semi-final and the final of a World Cup after Alyssa Healy in 2022. Wolvaardt also scored a record 336 runs in World Cup knockouts. Her total of 1328 runs is now the second-highest in the tournament's history, behind Debbie Hockley's 1501 runs.
India's dominant run with the bat
Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues struck at over 90, with the latter's unbeaten knock of 127 in the semifinal against Australia proving to be a match-defining one. Six Indian batters got 200-plus runs in this tournament. The Indian openers aggregated 671 runs together at an impressive average of 82.87 and scored at 6.02 with three 100-plus stands, including one in the final against South Africa. Richa Ghosh made the difference with her quick-fire 26 (16 balls) and 34 (24 balls) in the semi-final and the final, respectively. Richa also scored 185 runs at a strike rate of 165.2 in the death overs (41-50), well clear of the next best: Nadine de Klerk's 137 runs (SR: 147.3). She hit 12 sixes, which is the joint-most hit by any batter in a single World Cup edition.
Deepti Sharma became the first woman to score 200-plus runs and take 20-plus wickets in a Women's ODI tournament. She is also the first cricketer ever to score a fifty and take five wickets in a World Cup knockout game - men's or women's. At 21 years and 279 days, Shafali Verma became the youngest ever to win the Player of the Match award in an ODI World Cup semi-final or final, men's or women's. And at 36 years and 239 days, Harmanpreet Kaur became the oldest captain to win the Women's World Cup. She has also now scored the most runs (331) in Women's ODI World Cup knockouts.
Toss didn't dictate results
Toss didn't play a crucial role in the tournament; the teams calling it right have won only 40 percent of the matches. Out of 30 tosses, the winning captain opted to field first 18 times. In the 25 completed matches, the team winning the toss won only 10 games, including both semifinals and the final. India won just one toss out of their nine games, and South Africa won only 2 of their 9 tosses, but these teams were in the final.
Pakistan on the other hand tasted defeat in five matches after having won the toss in all five games, and Australia were the only side that won most of their games when they won the toss. At the T20 World Cup last year (the last women's ICC tournament), the teams winning the toss won more often.
Left is right! Left-arm spinners steal the limelight
Most of the teams in this World Cup depended on their slower bowlers, but there was one bowling type that dominated this edition. Left-arm spinners are among the most skillful and fascinating bowlers in cricket. They use flight, drift, and sharp turn to deceive batters and create wicket-taking opportunities. What makes them special is their ability to spin the ball away from right-handed batters, tempting them into false shots. With clever variations in pace and angle, left-arm spinners can dominate even on pitches that offer little assistance.
This World Cup, they delivered the best returns of any bowling style with 106 wickets at an average of 24.53 and a strike rate of 31. They were the most economical bowling type as well in this edition. Left-arm spin marks a sharp rise in average from the last two World Cup editions in 2022 (64 wickets at 28.1) and 2017 (62 wickets at 31.7). Four of the top eight wicket-takers in this World Cup were left-arm spinners, including Sophie Ecclestone (16), Shree Charani (14), Nonkululeko Mlaba (13), and Linsey Smith (12).
Indian spinners took 51 wickets in the tournament, in which slow left-arm orthodox bowlers took 18 wickets (35 percent). India preferred the lesser-experienced Radha Yadav over Sneh Rana in the knockouts. England's left-arm spin bowlers have the best share of wickets for their team. Out of 41 spin wickets, England's left-arm orthodox bowlers accounted for 28. They had an average of 17.25 and a strike rate of 25.2 and were the most economical (4.09) bowlers among all the teams this World Cup. Both the finalists, India and South Africa, lost 19 wickets to slow left-arm orthodox bowlers. R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, was the most spin-friendly venue among the five in this tournament, followed by Guwahati. Spinners accounted for 57 wickets at an average of 25.68 in Colombo.
Statistical breakdown of wickets in the World Cup
| Bowling type | Wkts | Ave | SR | Econ | Dot% | Bnd% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| left orthodox | 106 | 24.53 | 31 | 4.73 | 55.7 | 8.91 |
| leg break | 42 | 25.52 | 35.5 | 4.31 | 59 | 8.11 |
| right pace | 143 | 32.83 | 37.2 | 5.29 | 58.9 | 11.91 |
| off break | 73 | 35.91 | 40.8 | 5.28 | 48.5 | 9.43 |
| left pace | 9 | 36.66 | 35.8 | 6.13 | 49.5 | 13.93 |
Top order struggles and lower order recoveries
In the ICC Women's World Cup 2025, a clear contrast has emerged between the top and lower-order performances across teams. In the initial games, India and England frequently lost early wickets, putting their middle and lower orders under pressure. Yet players like Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma for India, and Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean for England staged key recoveries to keep totals competitive. Australia, however, showed the strongest lower-order resilience, with Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, and Alana King regularly rescuing their team from precarious positions.
With the top order often collapsed, India's middle and lower orders have stepped up. Against Sri Lanka, India recovered from early trouble with a 103-run 7th-wicket stand between Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma, followed by quickfire runs from the lower order, including Sneh Rana's 28* off 15, to reach 269. Against South Africa, India were 102/6 before Richa Ghosh's 94 off 77, supported by 51-run and 88-run partnerships for the 7th and 8th wickets, took them to 251. Similarly, we have seen in the final as well, where Richa played a match-defining knock. Australia were reeling at 128/5 against New Zealand before Ash Gardner's 115 off 83 took them beyond 300. Similarly, against Pakistan, they were 76 for 7 and this time, it was Beth Mooney's 109 runs off 114 balls that took them to a competitive score.
Partnerships for wickets 6 to 9 averaged 21.8, which is the highest in any Women's World Cup edition, surpassing 2017's 18.95. For wickets 1 to 5, the partnership average was 33.7, which was similar to the 2022 edition. Thus, the tournament highlighted how crucial lower-order depth is in balancing top-order failures.
Fielding struggles - a constant throughout the tournament
Fielding from each team was the most concerning part in this tournament, with England (77.5%) and Australia (72%) leading in catching efficiency, while India dropped 18 catches in the competition, and their catching efficiency of 66.6% ranks seventh among the eight teams after Bangladesh (44.8%). Sri Lanka dropped the fewest catches (7), followed by Pakistan (8). India misfielded 87 times - the most by a side, and they also missed three stumpings in this World Cup. The tournament catching efficiency of 68 percent is the lowest among the four previous editions since fielding data has been available.
Team-wise catching efficiency in Women's WC 2025
| Team | Catch taken | Drop catches | Catching efficiency | Misfields | Stumping Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England Women | 31 | 9 | 77.5 | 37 | 1 |
| Australia Women | 36 | 14 | 72 | 48 | 1 |
| Pakistan Women | 19 | 8 | 70.3 | 36 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka Women | 16 | 7 | 69.5 | 38 | 0 |
| New Zealand Women | 29 | 13 | 69 | 55 | 1 |
| South Africa Women | 40 | 18 | 68.9 | 65 | 0 |
| India Women | 40 | 20 | 66.6 | 87 | 3 |
| Bangladesh Women | 13 | 16 | 44.8 | 61 | 3 |
Australia's invincible run halted
Australia, dominant in Women's Cricket World Cups with seven titles from 12 previous editions, entered this tournament as a defending champion as well as a clear favourite. They carried a 9-match World Cup winning streak into the tournament, extending it to 15 after the group stage. However, India ended their run, beating them in the semi-final in a dominant fashion, having also defeated them in the 2017 semi-final, their previous defeat in the World Cup. Australia's semi-final loss to India was rare, having won 20 out of 21 head-to-head ODI matches leading in to the tournament. This was also the first time a Women's Cricket World Cup final featured neither Australia nor England.
The 2025 Women's World Cup was a turning point for women's cricket. Quality cricket, record-breaking audiences, and India's emotional home triumph elevated the game commercially and culturally. As Sachin Tendulkar said, "This was the spark that will ignite a new generation of cricketers across India." In short, the 2025 edition was more than a tournament, which featured historic numbers, record crowds, and a new world champion.
