Women's World Cup 2025: 'That dream is within reach' - Smriti Mandhana on playing final against South Africa

Ace Indian batter Smriti Mandhana opened up on what it means to represent the country in a Women's World Cup final. The summit clash of the mega event scheduled for November 2 between India and South Africa .  

She spoke on how she had manifested the thought of clinching the title in Navi Mumbai while she had visited the venue a few months agor, and how the goal seems within grasp at the present moment.

“The World Cup is always special — but a home World Cup is something else altogether. I remember visiting the stadium a couple of months ago for an ad shoot and standing on the balcony thinking, ‘How amazing would it be if we win here on the [November] 2nd?’ Now, that dream is within reach,” stated Smriti during an interaction on Star Sports. 

She also talked about how she transitioned from caring about her numbers and batting statistics to being a team-centric player. The vice-captain iterated her ultimate goal as far as the tournament is concerned. 

“In this World Cup, my only goal was to do whatever the team needed from me. In the past, I came in with personal targets — wanting to score specific runs or achieve certain milestones — but things rarely go exactly as planned. This time, my intention was very clear: to focus on preparation and execution rather than numbers. Personally, the only statistic I want to see is that ‘India has won the 2025 World Cup,’” she added.

Smriti did not have an ideal start for India at the Women's World Cup as she she had only scored 54 runs in the first three games. However, her scores in the next three matches against Australia, England and New Zealand read 80, 88 and 109, respectively.

The Women in Blue are coming into the final on the back of a thumping win against serial winners Australia. Although Smriti could score only 24, India chased down a record 339 with five wickets and nine deliveries to spare to set up what is expected to be a high-octane encounter against South Africa.