Women's World Cup 2025 semi-final qualification scenarios: Rules, chances and points required for progressing from group stage

Divy Dubey

Women's World Cup 2025 semi-final qualification scenarios: Rules, chances and points required for progressing from group stage image

The 13th edition of the ICC Women's World Cup is underway with eight teams battling it out in a round-robin format. Australia are the defending champions while India and Sri Lanka are hosting this edition of the Women's World Cup.

England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh complete the field - each playing seven matches in the group stage. With just four spots available for the semi-finals, every win and every net run rate boost will prove crucial as the tournament unfolds.

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Rules for semi-final qualification in Women's World Cup 2025

All eight teams are part of a single round-robin group. Each side plays the others once and the top four teams advance to the semi-finals. Key rules for progression:

  • Two points are awarded for each win, one point for a tie or no result.
  • Teams level on points are separated by Net Run Rate (NRR).
  • The top four sides after 28 group matches qualify for the semi-finals.
  • Semi-final fixtures are based on group standings: 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd.

This means big-margin wins and maintaining a healthy NRR could decide a few spots if teams are tied on points.

More: ‘Love for Indian cricket…respect for himself’: Brian Lara explains why he respects Rohit Sharma

Semi-final qualification scenarios for teams in Women's World Cup 2025

Let's take a look at the points table below:

ICC Women's World Cup 2025 - Points table

TeamMATWONLOSTTIEDNRNRRPTS
Australia Women43001+1.353    7
England Women33000+1.8626
South Africa Women43100-0.6186
India Women42200+0.682    4
New Zealand Women31200-0.2452
Bangladesh Women41300−0.2632
Sri Lanka Women30201−1.5261
Pakistan Women30300−1.8870

India Women

After two consecutive victories in the first two games, Team India faltered against the Proteas Women, losing the game by 3 wickets. Richa Ghosh emerged as India's biggest positive from the game, scoring 94 off just 77 balls.

India then had a close game with Australia, narrowly losing by 3 wickets despite scoring 330 runs. While they are still in third place in the points table, they have to play their next few games against England and New Zealand, making their stretch even more challenging.

Upcoming fixturesEngland, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Wins required2 wins required out of 3 matches
Chance of qualification70%

Australia Women

Australia are the odds on bookmakers' favourites to win the Women's World Cup and sit atop the standings after recently defeating India by 3 wickets. Their batting depth and disciplined bowling have kept their net run rate comfortably ahead of the rest.

With Bangladesh up next before England and South Africa showdowns, one more win should all but seal a top-two finish.

Upcoming fixturesBangladesh, England, South Africa
Wins required1 wins required out of 3 matches
Chance of qualification95%

Bangladesh Women

Bangladesh followed their historic win over Pakistan with a competitive showing against England that ended in defeat before losses against New Zealand and South Africa.

With three big remaining, the Asian side needs to win all 3 matches to qualify for the final four.

Upcoming fixturesSouth Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, India
Wins required3 wins required out of 3 matches
Chance of qualification5%

England Women

England's flawless start - wins over South Africa and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - has reaffirmed their consistency in global tournaments. Their strong net run rate gives them breathing room heading into matches against Pakistan.

The real test, though, will come when they face Australia and India later in the group stage.

Upcoming fixturesPakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand
Wins required1 wins required out of 4 matches
Chance of qualification90%

Sri Lanka Women

Sri Lanka's campaign has been stop-start - a loss to India in the tournament opener followed by a washout against Australia. But they once again crumbled against Sri Lanka

The lack of game time has not helped their momentum, but fixtures against New Zealand and South Africa now carry extra weight if they are to mount any kind of top-four challenge.

Upcoming fixturesEngland, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan
Wins required4 wins required out of 4 matches
Chance of qualification15%

Pakistan Women

Pakistan's campaign has unraveled quickly with three heavy defeats on the trot. Their batting collapses and poor net run rate have left them rooted to the bottom.

They now face a steep climb, needing to win all of their remaining matches and then to rely on other results to go their go way.

Upcoming fixturesEngland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka
Wins required4 wins required out of 4 matches
Chance of qualification5%

New Zealand Women

Two losses from their first two matches pushed New Zealand in a tough spot, especially after struggling to handle Australia and South Africa's attack.

However, with a big win over Bangladesh, New Zealand stays alive in the tournament and needs to win three games in their final four games. The run of fixture is particularly manageable for the White Ferns.

Upcoming fixturesSri Lanka, Pakistan, India, England
Wins required3 wins required out of 4 matches
Chance of qualification40%

South Africa Women

After a poor start against England, South Africa have hit back impressively with wins over New Zealand, India and now Bangladesh. Their batting has found rhythm, but the early defeat dented their NRR.

With winnable fixtures ahead against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, they remain strong contenders for the top four.

Upcoming fixturesSri Lanka, Pakistan, Australia
Wins required2 wins required out of 4 matches
Chance of qualification60%

More: ‘They have to play’: Sourav Ganguly tells Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to hit domestic cricket to keep their ODI spots ahead of IND vs AUS

How will the semi-final fixtures be determined?

The semi-finals will feature the top four teams from the group stage. The side finishing first will face the fourth-placed team while the second and third will meet in the other semi-final.

The first semi-final is scheduled in Guwahati but if Pakistan make it to the last four, it will be shifted to Colombo. The second semi-final will be held in Navi Mumbai and that is where India will play if they qualify.

If Pakistan reach their first Women's World Cup final, the match will take place in Colombo.

When are the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 semi-finals?

The first semi-final is set for 29 October, followed by the second on 30 October. The winners will meet in the final on 2 November with all three knockout games scheduled to start at 3:00 PM IST.

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Divy Dubey

Divy Dubey is a content producer for The Sporting News' India edition. He has a passion for cricket and is an avid fan of football. His work spans culture, media, and digital trends. With a background in research and a curiosity-driven approach, he enjoys crafting thoughtful, engaging stories that invite readers to see everyday topics in a new light.