India vs New Zealand: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 group clash preview

Ahead of the crucial India vs New Zealand group-stage match on October 23, players like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Sophie Devine share insights. Indian batters’ form, spin strategy, and leadership dynamics could shape semi-final hopes.

Hyderabad: The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 is heating up as India prepares to take on New Zealand in a decisive group-stage encounter on October 23 (Thursday) with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
Ahead of this crucial match, New Zealand Captain Sophie Devine, all-rounder Suzie Bates, and star spinner Amelia Kerr spoke about the qualities of Indian stalwarts Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur.

Speaking to JioStar, India batter Smriti Mandhana spoke about her admiration for New Zealand Captain Sophie Devine:
_“Whenever we are playing against Sophie Devine, it’s like drop anyone but do not drop Sophie. I remember watching her as a 17-18-year-old when she hit the fastest 50 against India at Chinnaswamy. I took a photo with her so that I could compare my muscles with hers, and I want to hit sixes like her. She’s left a legacy behind for New Zealand and world cricket,” Smriti said.

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Sophie Devine speaking about the challenge of playing against Smriti Mandhana said “honestly, I have so much respect for Smriti and what she goes through daily—the fans and all the support she has. Her ability to remain calm and consistent is remarkable.” “Watching her at training and seeing how thorough she is with her preparation and batting gives me a new level of respect. As an opposition captain, it’s tough because there aren’t too many weaknesses, but that’s what makes it exciting—you want to compete against the best players in their best form,” she said.
” She’s probably the most in-form player in the world at the moment. I’m looking forward to taking them on in Mumbai. Hopefully, we have a few New Zealand supporters, though I’m pretty sure we’ll be outnumbered—but it’ll still be a really awesome occasion,” Devine said.

New Zealand all-rounder Suzie Bates weighing in on skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said “They’re (Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur) almost polar opposites in demeanour, and they balance each other out in captain and vice-captain roles. Harmanpreet has been around for a long time. Every time I’ve been around, it’s been up against her, and she’s ultra-competitive and feisty,” Bates said.

” That brings the best out in her and her teammates. Her teammates know that when she’s on the field, she’ll lead the fight and ensure they compete every ball. Smriti’s calmness complements Harmanpreet’s aggression. When I speak to Amelia Kerr, who has played alongside Harmanpreet at Mumbai Indians, she really enjoys her captaincy. Having the opportunity to lead in a home World Cup is a big moment, especially later in a career, and it will be exciting for her,” she explained.

New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr highlighted the importance of playing Indian spinners like Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav:
_“This World Cup in India, a lot will come down to how well teams play spin. It’s very important to adapt to conditions and have a clear game plan. Some batters like to sweep, others use their feet,’ Amelia said
” For me, it’s about deciding how I want to best play spin depending on the conditions and situation of the game. That’s one of the things I love about 50-over cricket—the thinking, tactics and patience. It’s going to be one of the biggest challenges in this tournament,” she said.