India’s Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 campaign began with drama, collapse, and redemption as Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma turned disaster into triumph, punishing Sri Lanka’s fielding lapses to seal a 59-run victory in Guwahati.
India’s opening match of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 in Guwahati was anything but straightforward. The scoreboard might suggest a comfortable 59-run win under the DLS method, but the journey there was marked by chaos, drama, and resilience. Sri Lanka had India reeling at 124 for 6, with their bowling and fielding poised to dictate the narrative. But a stunning 103-run partnership between Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma, aided by a series of shocking dropped catches, turned the game on its head and ensured India started their campaign on a winning note.
India eventually posted 269 for 8 in a rain-reduced 47-over innings, and Sri Lanka, despite flashes of brilliance, folded for 211. The margin of victory, however, disguises how close the game was to slipping away from the hosts.
The day began poorly for India with the early dismissal of Smriti Mandhana, slicing one to deep point. The rest of the top order showed little intent against Sri Lanka’s seamers, who bowled with discipline but not menace. Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol stitched together a 67-run stand off 96 balls, steadying the innings but never truly accelerating. Rawal fell just as she looked ready to push on, undone by Inoka Ranaweera, who would go on to play a starring role.
Ranaweera, the 39-year-old left-arm spinner, was superb, returning figures of 4 for 46 in nine overs. She tore through India’s middle order in the 26th over, dismissing Deol and Jemimah Rodrigues in consecutive deliveries before sending captain Harmanpreet Kaur back soon after. India’s score crashed from 120 for 2 to 121 for 5 within five deliveries, and when Richa Ghosh handed Athapaththu a wicket with a loose shot, the collapse was complete. At 124 for 6, India seemed unlikely to even reach 200.
This is where Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur took charge. Deepti, calm and methodical, played the perfect anchor role, striking a run-a-ball 53. Amanjot, who had already impressed with the ball, counterpunched with a 56-ball 57. Their partnership was not just valuable, it was game-defining. Together, they added 103 runs for the seventh wicket, steadying nerves, ticking the scoreboard, and laying the foundation for a late surge.
Sri Lanka, however, had only themselves to blame. Amanjot was dropped four times during her innings — on 18, 37, 50, and 53. The missed chances ranged from simple to difficult, but each reprieve added to India’s total and Sri Lanka’s frustration. Achini Kulasuriya spilled a straightforward catch at deep square leg, Nilakshika Silva fumbled at long-off, Ranaweera shelled a return catch, and Vishmi Gunaratne failed to cling on to a diving effort at midwicket. By the time Gunaratne finally held a stunner at square leg to dismiss Amanjot, the damage had been done.
Sneh Rana then added insult to injury with a blistering 15-ball cameo worth 28 runs, peppered with two fours and two sixes. Her late hitting powered India to 34 runs off the final two overs, pushing the total to an imposing 269 for 8. Remarkably, India’s seventh and eighth wickets accounted for 145 runs, more than the six top-order wickets combined.
In the chase, Sri Lanka looked competitive initially. Chamari Athapaththu, the experienced campaigner, was beginning to find her rhythm with a 47-ball 43 before Deepti trapped her with a perfect yorker. Vishmi Gunaratne’s struggle ended with Amanjot trapping her leg-before for a laborious 11 off 28 balls, while Nilakshika Silva’s lively 35 from 29 kept hopes alive briefly. But Rana, miserly as ever, ended that resistance.
At 140 for 6 in the 29th over, Sri Lanka’s task of chasing 271 at over six runs an over became insurmountable. Their batting order simply lacked the firepower to sustain the pace required, especially against an Indian attack that spread the wickets among its frontline bowlers. Deepti added 3 for 54 to her half-century, Amanjot struck early breakthroughs, and Rana capped off her all-round performance with two wickets at a miserly economy. Contributions from Kranti Goud and Shree Charani ensured India had all bases covered.
Sri Lanka’s defeat will be remembered not only for India’s comeback but for their own missed opportunities. Had even two of the four dropped catches off Amanjot been taken, India’s innings might have collapsed for under 200. Instead, the reprieves allowed India’s lower order to dominate, turning the contest decisively.
For India, this game answered some questions but left others looming. The depth in the allrounders department was on full display, with Deepti, Amanjot, and Rana influencing the game with both bat and ball. Yet, concerns remain over the top order’s timid approach and Mandhana’s early dismissal. Against stronger opposition, such lapses could prove costly.
For Sri Lanka, Ranaweera’s record as the oldest bowler to take a four-wicket haul in a Women’s ODI World Cup at 39 was a highlight, but the lack of support in the field undermined her brilliance. Athapaththu’s form remains crucial, but unless their fielding improves, close games will continue to slip away.
Ultimately, this match was a story of resilience and missed chances. India will celebrate the character shown by their lower order and the versatility of their allrounders. Sri Lanka will rue a night where wet conditions and nerves cost them dearly.
As the World Cup continues, both teams will need to learn quickly. India will seek greater intent from their batting stars, while Sri Lanka must rediscover the sharpness that initially had them dominating. But for now, Amanjot and Deepti’s heroics shine brightest, rescuing India from disaster and propelling them to a winning start.
