India A Women stun New Zealand Women in Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 warm-up game

The 2000 Women's World Cup champions and the latest T20 World Cup champions New Zealand Women suffered a shocking defeat in their rain-marred warm-up game against India A Women before the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. 

After New Zealand Women chose to bat first, they were losing wickets at regular intervals, as they managed to score 273/9 in 50 overs, thanks to late batting performances, especially Isabella Gaze's unbeaten century. In reply, India A Women chased down the 224-run revised target in 39.3 overs after losing six wickets, while they had to chase it in 40 overs. India A Women won the dramatic rain-marred game by four wickets with three balls remaining in the DLS method.  

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Shafali Verma slammed 70 off 49 balls

In chase, although the opener Dinesh Vrinda was dismissed for a duck after a stormy 31-run opening partnership in just 20 balls, Shafali Verma played a fiery knock of 70 off just 49 balls with 11 fours and one six. Although India A Women were once struggling at 121/6, the unbeaten seventh wicket partnership of 105 runs helped the side to snatch a shocking win. While captain Minnu Mani scored 39 not out off 53 balls with three fours and one six, wicketkeeper-batter Madiwala Mamatha scored 56 not out off 60 balls with six fours and one six. The second innings was interrupted twice due to rain, and India A Women got the revised target, which they managed to chase successfully with three balls in hand. 

Isabella Gaze rescued New Zealand Women with her century

New Zealand Women were losing at regular intervals as the top-order batters scored only 10, 6, and 1 runs, respectively. Captain Sophie Devine (34), Brooke Halliday (22), and Maddy Green (30) failed to convert their respective starts. Isabella Gaze and Jase Kerr had a crucial 90-run partnership for the eighth wicket after the White Ferns were once struggling at 146/7. While Kerr scored a run-a-ball 36, Gaze scored 101 not out off 100 balls with 15 fours and one six. 

Among the India A bowlers, Sayali Satghare got three wickets as she had the bowling figures of 9-0-45-3, while all the other six bowlers got one wicket each.