India Preps with Transparency Ahead of 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup Clash Against New Zealand: Muzumdar

Competing in a Women’s World Cup on home soil poses its challenges. However, India’s head coach, Amol Muzumdar, firmly believes the team is adequately prepared to manage the pressure.

Recently, India faltered in a run chase against England, which was mostly under control until their collapse in Indore, raising doubts about the team’s capability to compete against top-tier opponents in this 50-over tournament.

Facing a must-win match against New Zealand in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, Muzumdar acknowledged that some candid discussions have taken place within the team following their struggles in closing out tight games.

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“Honestly, we haven’t been able to finish things off as we should. While starting well is crucial, it’s the strong finish that actually wins games,” Muzumdar commented, with hopes that the lessons learned will bear fruit against the White Ferns.

Richa Ghosh has established herself as a specialized finisher in recent years, but the coach emphasized the need for additional players to support her.

“As a batting unit, we’ve had discussions on this issue. We need to reach a stage where Richa can freely express her skills. We’ve fallen short of converting our half-centuries into centuries, unlike before the World Cup. Hopefully, this is something we can change,” Muzumdar added.

In the last match, the team chose to bench Jemimah Rodrigues to include an extra bowler, which was vital for those conditions. Although the decision didn’t work out as hoped, Muzumdar praised Jemimah for understanding and accepting the decision gracefully.

“Jemi has been a key player, and an integral part of this squad we’ve developed. It was one of the toughest choices but sometimes, difficult decisions must be made,” he concluded.

Published on Oct 22, 2025