The biggest day in Indian women’s cricket is almost here. With an aim to write the biggest chapter, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side prepares to face South Africa in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. But the ride hasn’t been a smooth one. While India’s semifinal win against Australia was the stuff of history, former cricketer Aakash Chopra believes there’s still one tactical tweak worth making before the title clash. He wants to bring back Sneh Rana.
Should India tinker with a winning combination?
India’s semi-final win over Australia was one for the ages. Surprisingly, the hosts went in with a mix of five specialist batters, four frontline bowlers and two all-rounders. This was something that fans always wanted the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side to do.
That balance delivered a five-wicket win against the best team in the world, but it also left questions about depth while chasing. Throughout the tournament, India’s management has shown a willingness to adjust combinations, dropping Harleen Deol despite her consistency and calling up Shafali Verma after Pratika Rawal’s tournament-ending injury. The decision to go with Radha Yadav and Shree Charani as dual left-arm spinners worked on that occasion, helping India contain a powerful Australian batting unit.
Sneh Rana in for Radha Yadav?
“What are the things India need to control? Unforced errors. Don’t drop catches. It didn’t prove expensive last time, but it can. It proved expensive for Australia. They gave Jemimah Rodrigues two chances, and the result is there for everyone to see. If we give a chance to Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk or Marizanne Kapp, we will be done,” Chopra uttered while speaking on his Youtube channel.
The Proteas have struggled heavily against spin throughout the competition, losing the most wickets to slow bowling among all teams. Rana, who missed the semifinal, offers more than just her spin. Her ability to bat in the lower middle order gives India depth, something Aakash Chopra feels could prove invaluable if India finds itself chasing under lights with dew in play. As he put it, the conditions at DY Patil have consistently favored teams batting second, making every extra run from the lower order count.
“I won’t talk about the toss because we don’t win. So don’t worry about that. Don’t mind; we can chase. Dew comes here and the ball starts coming nicely onto the bat. Play Sneh Rana in place of Radha Yadav because Sneh Rana’s batting might be very useful for you while chasing. She bowls off-spin in any case. She is a very decent player. Don’t change anything else.”
Sneh Rana has picked up seven wickets at an economy rate of 5.67 in six innings in the Women’s World Cup 2025. However, Radha Yadav replaced her in the XI in the co-hosts’ last two games, with the left-arm spinner accounting for four dismissals at an economy rate of 6.85. With South Africa jam-packed with righties, India is likely to keep Radha in the XI for her left-arm spin.
Predicted India Playing XI for Women’s ODI World Cup final
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur
Bench: Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Harleen Doel, Uma Chetry
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