World Cup Semifinals: Team India has made life a little difficult for itself after a heartbreaking loss to defending champions Australia in their latest Women’s World Cup 2025 match. The defeat marked their second consecutive loss, putting extra pressure on the team as they fight for a semifinal spot.
World Cup Semifinals: Three Must-Win Matches Ahead
Harmanpreet Kaur and her team now face a must-win situation. They need to win all three of their remaining games against England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh to secure a place in the top four and confirm a semifinal berth.
At the moment, India are placed third in the standings. Winning all three matches would take their total to 10 points, putting them in a strong position heading into the knockout stage.
There’s Still Hope Even Without Three Wins
The good news is that India’s chances aren’t completely over even if they don’t win all three games. Depending on how other results unfold, two wins might still be enough to take them through.
India, England, and New Zealand are all set to face each other in their remaining matches, making those encounters key in deciding the semifinal lineup.
England and South Africa, the teams just below India, also have to play Australia, which could affect the standings in India’s favor.
Another plus point for India is their superior net run rate compared to teams below them. This could become crucial if they end up tied on points with another side.
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World Cup Semifinals: Collapse Against Australia Proves Costly
In their previous match, India couldn’t defend a total of 330 against Australia. Alyssa Healy led from the front for the Aussies, smashing a stunning 142 off 107 balls to chase down the target with an over to spare.
After the match, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed disappointment over her team’s batting collapse in the final overs.
“The way we started, we could have added 30-40 more runs. We missed runs in the last six overs, and that cost us. Knew it was a good batting wicket, but not batting well in the last six overs cost us. Openers have been outstanding, because of them we have been scoring 300 runs,” said Harmanpreet Kaur during the post-match presentation.
Next Challenge: England on October 19
India will next take on England on Sunday, October 19, in what promises to be a crucial contest. With their semifinal hopes hanging in the balance, the Women in Blue will be aiming for a strong comeback to keep their World Cup dream alive.
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