After a historic win over Australia in the semi-final, India are now set to host South Africa in the summit clash of the ODI World Cup 2025 on November 2 at Navi Mumbai. The hosts will enter the final with strong momentum, having produced a brilliant display with the bat against the Aussies, where they chased 339 runs with nine balls to spare. Jemimah Rodrigues rose to the occasion, scoring a phenomenal century, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur made 89.
Nevertheless, will India alter their playing XI, given that they conceded 338 runs in the first place? When asked about the final XI ahead of the match, Harmanpreet maintained her usual calm approach, stating that whoever gets an opportunity will try to put up a show in the middle. She also denied revealing the playing XI just yet.
“We will reveal it before the match only – I don't think I'm even allowed to say it. But whoever has had the opportunity, they have done their best. So that's the biggest thing for us. Because whoever has the opportunity, they are putting forth their best performances. So what can be a bigger thing for us than this?” Harmanpreet said in the pre-match press conference.
Will Sneh Rana return?
India may consider tweaking their lineup for the final despite the usual preference for sticking with a winning combination. Sneh Rana could make a return in place of Radha Yadav. Radha was brought in for the Bangladesh match to give Rana a rest, and she impressed by taking three wickets, securing her place for the semifinals. However, her performance against Australia was below expectations, conceding 66 runs in eight overs, which could prompt the management to reinstate Rana.
Meanwhile, Harleen Deol is likely to remain on the bench as Jemimah Rodrigues has firmly established herself at the crucial number three position. Unless Jemimah fails to recover from cramps, there seems little chance for Deol to reclaim her spot in the playing XI.
India Women (Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur