How India can qualify for the Women’s World Cup despite loss to South Africa | Cricket News – The Times of India

The Indian women’s cricket team faced their first setback in the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, losing to South Africa by three wickets at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakapatnam on Thursday. The defeat came after India’s strong start with two consecutive victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the tournament.The loss has placed India in a challenging position as they currently stand third on the points table with four points. South Africa have shown remarkable recovery in the tournament after their initial 10-wicket loss to England, securing victories against both New Zealand and India.India’s path forward in the tournament involves crucial upcoming matches against formidable opponents. The team is scheduled to face defending champions Australia on Sunday, October 12, in Visakhapatnam, followed by matches against England and New Zealand.How India can qualify for Women’s World Cup semifinalsThe qualification scenario for India remains within their control, despite the recent setback. The team needs to secure victories in at least three of their remaining four matches to ensure their place in the semi-finals. However, another defeat could complicate their qualification chances, potentially making them dependent on other match results.The tournament’s history provides context to India’s current situation. In the 2022 World Cup, teams with three defeats managed to qualify for the next round, while India, despite winning four matches, failed to advance. This precedent suggests that India still have room for error, though securing qualification early would be more advantageous than relying on other results.India’s remaining matches in the 2025 Women’s World Cup: