Women's World Cup 2025: 5 Bowlers to watch out for in the tournament

The 2025 Women’s World Cup in India will test bowlers on surfaces that can reward both subtle spinners and menacing seamers. With sides fielding balanced attacks, a few bowlers stand out as genuine match-winners. These are players who can turn tight games in their team’s favour with a burst of wickets or a spell of miserly control. Here are five bowlers you should be watching in the tournament, why they matter, and what they bring to India’s varied pitches.

1. Sophie Ecclestone (England) 

Sophie Ecclestone arrives as the obvious first name on any list. She’s the ICC’s leading-ranked women’s ODI bowler and has the rare mix of accuracy, variation and control that suffocates batters in the middle overs. Ecclestone’s slow left-arm is ideal for Indian wickets where batters are tempted to swing early. 

She consistently builds dot-ball pressure and then converts it into wickets. Notably, she became the fastest woman to 100 ODI wickets, which is a landmark that underlines both her wicket-taking craft and her sustained period of elite performance. Expect England to use her in long, controlling spells through the middle overs. She might end up as the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup.

2. Megan Schutt (Australia) 

Megan Schutt is Australia’s go-to strike seamer in one-day cricket. She combines late swing, a probing length and the ability to pick up top-order wickets at pace-friendly venues. In tournaments on Indian surfaces that have a seam-friendly shine early on, Schutt’s role will be clear. 

She will make early inroads and bully batters who still look to come hard in the powerplay. Her experience in big global events and knack for striking up front make her one of the most dangerous new-ball options in the competition. Even though the pitches are going to be spin-friendly, her knack for taking wickets makes her dangerous.

3. Ashleigh Gardner (Australia)

Gardner is an all-rounder who consistently produces key breakthroughs. Her off-spin is tough to hit when turn and bounce come, and she also brings the added value of being a genuine middle-order hitter. 

In ODIs, she’s scored big and taken regular wickets, giving captains a flexible option who can choke runs or finish with a wicket surge. Australia’s plans often revolve around the dual threat she offers. She can stem a chase or trigger a collapse, depending on what the moment needs. 

4. Deepti Sharma (India)

Deepti’s off-spin and sharp arm-ball make her India’s most reliable middle-over enforcer. She has risen the rankings in recent seasons thanks to tidy economy rates and the ability to pick up wickets in partnerships. 

Playing at home adds an edge that Deepti knows the subcontinental surfaces intimately and will be the bowler India trusts to choke scoring at key phases while creating catching chances through pressure. Her role could be decisive in matches where the opposition looks to rebuild. 

5. Kim Garth (Australia) 

Kim Garth brings useful pace, control and the kind of seam variations that are effective on both tacky and quick tracks. Having played in franchise leagues (including strong WPL showings), she’s acclimatised to high-pressure batting lineups and can fill overs economically while chipping in with crucial wickets. 

Teams that underestimate her early on have been surprised by how quickly she can change a game with disciplined lines and clever cutters. Expect her to surprise teams in this tournament as well.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!