Devine-led New Zealand favourites against winless Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka and New Zealand are reeling in the bottom half of the points table in this ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. New Zealand began their campaign with two losses to Australia and South Africa, before finally finding winning momentum against Bangladesh in their third outing. Co-hosts Sri Lanka are yet to taste success. Although they have opened their account on the points table, it was only due to a washed-out game against the seven-time champions, Australia.
With four matches still to go in the league stage, both teams will be eager to pull up their socks and solidify their positions on the points table.
New Zealand will back themselves to get the better of the island nation and strengthen their chances of making it to the top four, who will eventually contest the semi-finals. Captain Sophie Devine, currently leading the batting charts in this World Cup, has been doing the bulk of the heavy lifting with the bat for the White Ferns. However, she will be hoping for more support from her fellow batters, especially the openers. The opening pair of Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates has struggled to provide solid starts, with either dismissed inside the first powerplay in all three matches.
In the bowling department, the pace duo of Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr has led the charge. Still, they will want their bowling partners to contribute more consistently to maintain pressure throughout the innings. While New Zealand boasts exciting talent in Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, and Maddy Green, these players need to step up and relieve some of the burden from their skipper. Southpaw Halliday’s role in the middle overs will be crucial, particularly as she’s expected to take on the majority of the strike against left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, who is currently in stellar form.
Sri Lanka, after putting up a strong fight against India in their World Cup opener, looked a shadow of themselves in their last outing against England. Despite having a wealth of experience in captain Chamari Athapaththu and veteran speedster Udeshika Prabodhani, that experience has yet to translate into meaningful results.
The formula for Sri Lanka is simple: Athapaththu needs to bat deep and anchor the innings, allowing others to play around her, while Prabodhani must strike early with the ball. If they can do that, then left-arm spinner Ranaweera can come into play during the middle overs and look to weave her magic against the right-handed-heavy New Zealand batting lineup.
On paper, New Zealand appear the stronger side, and the odds are stacked in their favour to register a second win in the competition. But can Sri Lanka, who have never beaten New Zealand in a World Cup, pull off an upset and keep the points table wide open?
Head-to-Head
Overall: Sri Lanka – 2, New Zealand – 13
World Cups: Sri Lanka – 0, New Zealand – 5
ICC ODI Rankings: Sri Lanka – 6, New Zealand – 5
Squads
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu, Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Imesha Dulani, Dewmi Vihanga, Piumi Wathsala, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Dasanayaka, Udeshika Prabodani, Malki Madara, Achini Kulasooriya
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze (wicket-keeper), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis (wicket-keeper), Bella James, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu
Players to watch out
Chamari Athapaththu: The Sri Lankan captain needs to convert her starts into big scores.
Inoka Ranaweera: The spin wizard has been wreaking havoc in the middle overs with the ball.
Sophie Devine: The New Zealand captain has already notched up a century and two fifties in just three matches.
Amelia Kerr: The world’s No. 5 all-rounder is yet to make a significant impact in this tournament. Facing a relatively weaker opposition could be the ideal opportunity for her to find form.
Match details
Date: October 14, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM
Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Live streaming: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar