In a surprising twist, Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to its first-ever Women’s World Cup title in 2025, has not been included in the ICC Women’s World Cup Team of the Tournament. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the best playing XI on Tuesday, and not only was Harmanpreet left out of the captaincy role, but she didn’t even make it into the team.

Instead, South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, who scored a century in the World Cup final, has been named captain of the team. Despite her heroics, South Africa fell short of winning the trophy.

Three Indian Players Make the Cut
While Harmanpreet Kaur was snubbed, India still had strong representation in the ICC’s best XI. Three Indian stars — Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma — were included in the lineup. Deepti was also named the Player of the Tournament for her all-round brilliance.

South Africa Dominate the List
Alongside Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk were the other two South Africans to make the XI.

Australia’s Trio Shine
From the Australian camp, Ash Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, and Elana King found places in the team for their outstanding all-round and bowling performances.

England and Pakistan Also Represented
England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone and Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Sidra Nawaz complete the lineup. Sidra earned her spot with her exceptional wicketkeeping — eight dismissals (four catches and four stumpings) — alongside 62 runs with the bat.

Why Harmanpreet Missed Out
Despite guiding India to glory, Harmanpreet’s individual batting form let her down. She scored 260 runs in eight innings at an average of 32.50, with two fifties. While her leadership was commendable, her numbers were not strong enough compared to others in contention.

Interestingly, Richa Ghosh also missed out despite scoring 235 runs at a strike rate of 133, along with four catches.

Complete ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Team of the Tournament:

1. Smriti Mandhana (India) – 434 runs, avg 54.25, 1 century, 2 fifties

2. Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa, captain) – 571 runs, avg 71.37, 2 centuries, 3 fifties

3. Jemimah Rodrigues (India) – 292 runs, avg 58.40, 1 century, 1 fifty

4. Marizanne Kapp (South Africa) – 208 runs, 12 wickets

5. Ash Gardner (Australia) – 328 runs, 7 wickets

6. Deepti Sharma (India) – 215 runs, 22 wickets

7. Annabel Sutherland (Australia) – 117 runs, 17 wickets

8. Nadine de Klerk (South Africa) – 208 runs, 9 wickets

9. Sidra Nawaz (Pakistan, wk) – 8 dismissals, 62 runs

10. Elana King (Australia) – 13 wickets

11. Sophie Ecclestone (England) – 16 wickets