ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: India’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats

India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will be one of the top teams to watch in the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup starting on September 30, 2025. Playing in conditions similar to the subcontinent, they are likely to perform really well. Before the big tournament begins, here is a look at the team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).

Team India Strengths

The opening partnership of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal has become the backbone of India’s batting. Whether the team is setting a big total or chasing a target, they rely on this pair to give strong starts. From January 2024 onward, they have totaled over 1,000 runs with multiple fifties and hundreds.

Playing at home has been even better for them, with big partnerships that have helped India dominate. Pratika’s presence has also made Mandhana more aggressive and this year she has been in great form, scoring consistently with a more attacking approach wickets in 11 innings at an economy of 4.55 this year. Hence, their ability to pick wickets in the middle overs could set the tone for the team.

In the subcontinent, spinners can really change the game and India’s spin attack looks ready to do just that in the World Cup. With experienced players like Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana plus young talents like Radha Yadav and N Sree Charani, the team has a nice mix of skill and energy. Rana and Deepti have been picking up wickets consistently, while Charani has shown a lot of promise, making this spin lineup a big reason India could do well.

Team India Weakness

One big worry for India is the lack of variety in their bowling. The pace attack is good but a bit predictable. Renuka Singh Thakur and Kranti Gaud can swing the ball well and take early wickets, while Arundhati Reddy mixes in slower balls in the middle overs. Still, none of them can bowl very fast consistently, which might make it easier for strong batting teams, especially in conditions where swing is less and it could be tough in the death overs.

The spin department has a similar problem. Deepti and Rana bowl right-arm off-spin and Charani and Radha bowl left-arm spin. But there’s no main leg-spinner, which could limit India’s attacking options. Priya Mishra and Prema Rawat, both leg-spinners, are in the reserves. Including one of them could have given captain Harmanpreet Kaur more choices and flexibility in planning the game.

Team India Opportunity​​​​​​​

Harleen Deol, Charani and Amanjot Kaur have a big chance to shine in the World Cup. Harleen will bat at No. 3 after Yastika Bhatia’s injury and has scored 584 runs in 16 innings with a fifty and a century. Charani will lead the spin attack, while all-rounder Amanjot adds balance to the team. With the tournament at home, Harmanpreet’s team has a great chance to win their first World Cup.

Team India Threats

Fitness could be the biggest challenge for this team in the World Cup. Skipper Harmanpreet has struggled with neck and knee issues over the past year and a half, so managing her workload will be very important. Players like Amanjot and Renuka are returning after injuries Amanjot from a back problem and Renuka from a stress fracture. Renuka hasn’t played competitive cricket since the WPL, so her fitness will be tested in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia. Amanjot is also part of that series, and how she performs if picked in the World Cup XI will be interesting to watch.

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