Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India opener Smriti Mandhana, all-rounder Deepti Sharma and batter Jemimah Rodrigues are the three Indians named in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Team of the Tournament. The trio is joined by three players from the tournament runners-up, South Africa; Captain Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, and Nadine de Klerk along with three Australians — Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, and Alana King. Additionally, two English players –Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone and Pakistan’s Sidra Nawaz complete the lien up.
The openers faced each other in the final, with Mandhana chosen to partner Laura Wolvaardt at the top of the lineup. The pair finished as the top run scorers in the tournament, with Wolvaardt leading at 571 runs, averaging an impressive 71.37. This made her the highest individual run-scorer at an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, highlighted by her magnificent, consecutive centuries in the semi-final and final. Mandhana, meanwhile, scored a century against New Zealand in the league stage and concluded the tournament with 434 runs at an average of 54.25.
Mandhana’s teammate Rodrigues takes the number three position after her memorable match-winning 127 not out, sending the hosts to the final at Australia’s cost. Sharma, another Indian star, was also chosen after leading the bowling charts with 22 wickets, including her crucial spell in the showdown. The Proteas are also well represented alongside Wolvaardt. Kapp reclaims her spot in the team after another strong recent performance with bat and ball, scoring two half-centuries and taking 12 wickets. That includes five for 20 against England in the semi-final, which helped her become the leading wicket-taker in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup history. Her teammate, Nadine, also delivered an impressive all-round performance. Her unbeaten 84 off 54 balls contributed to her team’s victory over India in the league stage, and she also picked up nine wickets.
