Harmanpreet and Mandhana hope India 'break the barrier' for maiden World Cup glory

India's senior duo of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana is banking on the team's recent form, collective confidence and their changed methods of preparation to "break the barrier" and lift India's maiden ODI Women's World Cup.

The 2025 tournament, which features eight teams, will kick off on September 30, with India taking on Sri Lanka in the opening game. India failed to make the semi-finals of the last ODI World Cup, in 2022. Their best result at an ODI World Cup so far has been the runners-up place - twice, in 2005 and 2017, both times under Mithali Raj. They will hope to go one step further with home advantage and recent form on their side.

"Playing in front of a home crowd, that is always special, and hopefully, this time we will give our 100% and try to break that barrier which all Indian fans and we are waiting for," Harmanpreet said at an ICC event in Mumbai to start the 50-day countdown for the World Cup.

India have had a good ODI year so far, having won nine of their 11 games. The results include a 3-0 whitewash of Ireland, a tri-series victory in Sri Lanka (also featuring South Africa), and most recently, a 2-1 series win in England, who are ranked second in ODIs.

What are India's confidence levels like right now heading into the World Cup? "To be honest, very high - because the amount of cricket we have played in the last couple of years, that has really given us a lot of confidence. And touchwood, the way we are playing [for] the last couple of years, we just want to continue with that. I think it is all about mindset and [the] fearless cricket we have been playing," Harmanpreet said.

The ODI series win against England also followed a 3-2 T20I series win - India's first such win on English soil.

"We were not surprised with the results [in England] because we knew the kind of preparation we have done," Harmanpreet said. "We knew that we can do this easily. I think we have been working very hard for it, but I think at the same time, we kept things very simple, and we knew that we can easily win any series or any tournament. We were only talking about how we can win, how we can improve ourselves. So, for us, it was not like we have done something great. [The result] was because of our routines and we want to keep doing the same things, again and again."

Mandhana, the vice-captain in white-ball formats, said the recent team form was a result of their off-field preparations.

"The amount of training we are doing and the efforts we are putting in our training camps, that is finally giving us a result and hopefully this World Cup will be very special for us," she said. "In the last one-and-a-half month in UK, I just felt that a lot of things. Even off the field was very right about the team, in terms of how everyone came together and we, as a team, are really big on it in terms [of how] we are working hard here each day, day in, day out.

"For all the youngsters to come in… and I remember Kranti [Goud] taking six wickets [in the third ODI], I mean to watch her go was just amazing. So sometimes, the environment kind of really helps all of them."

Mandhana has had a dream run since last year, with a tally of 747 in 2024 (average 57.46) and 628 (average 57.09) this year, with a higher strike rate of 107.53 in 2025 compared to 95.15 in 2024. She has struck 12 sixes this year, the most for her in a calendar year, and she is also the highest scorer in ODIs in 2025.

"I think more than my mindset, the work ethics have changed quite a lot in the last two or three years," Mandhana said. "And because of that, there is a lot of calmness around how I want to go about my cricket. So that's one thing which has changed massively. What happens in the field is a very secondary thing. Our primary job is to do the job. And not only for me - I think the whole team is heading into that direction, [where] we know where we actually have to work hard. So, we all are pretty clear with those sort of things. And that creates a lot of calmness.

"I would say that in the last one-and-a-half-odd years, that's been a massive change for me personally, and also, within the team."

India have another assignment before the World Cup - a three-match ODI series at home against defending champions and world No. 1 Australia, which will finish just ten days before the World Cup kicks off.

"Well, whenever we play against Australia, that is always challenging because they are very competitive and you always have to know where you are standing, and what are the areas you need to improve [on] as a team," Harmanpreet said. "I think right before the World Cup, that series is going to give us a lot of clarity, and hopefully along with that, we will play our best cricket, and I think the same momentum will continue before the World Cup."

Australia had, however, failed to make the final of the T20 World Cup last year, which New Zealand won. To see two teams apart from Australia in the final was a welcome change, Harmanpreet said.

"Now every team has improved a lot," she said. "You don't know which team is going to be there in the top four. So, I think that is something which is really good because earlier, as Smriti said, they were very dominating. One team was always sure they are going to play in the finals. But right now, it's always open, so it's only about playing good cricket on that particular day and giving your best."