Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: Devine empathises with ‘under pressure’ India ahead of key clash
The last few days have been frustrating for New Zealand as two of its crucial Women’s World Cup fixtures were abandoned due to rain in Colombo.
As the team gears up for a must-win game against India at the D.Y. Patil Stadium, captain Sophie Devine admitted that the pressure will be on the Indian side playing at home.
“We are obviously under no illusions that India is still the favourite, without a doubt. And we’ll wear that underdog badge with pride, as Kiwis often do,” Devine said on Wednesday, adding: “”We know the pressure that India is under at home, but we’re just going to go out there and control what we can control and make sure that we stick to what we do well as a Kiwi side…”
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India finds itself dangerously staring at a potential group stage exit after three defeats on the trot, needing victories in both games that remain.
Devine, however, empathized with the host.
“In all honesty, I can’t begin to imagine the type of pressure that the Indian team is under. I know when we played at a home World Cup, the pressure that we felt to perform in front of our home crowd, in front of our own country, was at times overwhelming. So I can’t imagine what that’s like with a billion people tuned into the TV screens and the expectation and the weight that’s on their shoulders. I’ve got real empathy for them having to try and deal with that while also going out there and performing,” she said.
Published on Oct 22, 2025
