All the knockout spots are sealed, and for co-host India, even the semifinal opponent remains unchanged regardless of Sunday’s Women’s ODI World Cup result. Yet, when India faces Bangladesh in the final league game at the DY Patil Stadium, both teams will have plenty to play for beyond what’s being termed a ‘dead rubber’.
For India, the focus will be on maintaining rhythm and managing workloads before the semifinals. Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh’s fitness remains a concern after she injured her left hand during the crucial win against New Zealand earlier this week. Richa, who was substituted midway through that match, skipped Saturday’s optional training session, where only five Indian players participated. Given her importance to team balance, India may choose to rest her on Sunday.
Weather could also play spoilsport, with persistent rain predicted throughout the day in the Navi Mumbai region. On an overcast Saturday afternoon, Arundhati Reddy, Uma Chetry, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur and Harleen Deol trained at the side-nets of the stadium while Pratika Rawal walked down from the team hotel in the stadium premises for a chat with head coach Amol Muzumdar.
If conditions permit, India’s think-tank might use the fixture to test their bench strength and fine-tune combinations ahead of the knockout stage.
For Bangladesh, this match carries greater consequence. A win would not only help them avoid the wooden spoon in the eight-team table but could even lift them to sixth place. That climb would bring a significant financial boost — Rs. 3.4 crore in prize money compared to the Rs. 2.8 crore reserved for the bottom two teams.
While the semifinal lineup is already locked, the India-Bangladesh contest still holds meaning — for form, fitness, and pride — ensuring the DY Patil crowd won’t be watching a mere formality.
Published – October 25, 2025 09:29 pm IST
