With the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 just over two months away, England’s three-match ODI series against India, starting July 16th, assumes massive significance. Not just as a high-profile contest between two top sides, but as a litmus test for England’s title ambitions in subcontinental conditions, especially with the World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2, 2025.
After recent ups and downs in the T20I leg of India’s tour, all eyes will be on a quartet of cricketers whose performances could shape England’s World Cup blueprint. Here’s a closer look at four players to watch: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, and Emily Arlott, each on a pivotal juncture in their ODI journeys.
Nat Sciver-Brunt: The Heartbeat of England’s Ambitions
Few players in world cricket have made the kind of impact Nat Sciver-Brunt has managed in recent years, both as a batter and a leader. Despite her absence in the latter half of the T20I series due to a left groin injury, the England skipper returns for the ODI leg, bringing with her not just experience but a phenomenal recent record.
Across the last two years, she’s compiled 923 runs in 21 innings at a stunning average of 61.53, striking at 99.03, numbers that underscore her dominance at the crease. Sciver-Brunt has hit four centuries and four fifties in this phase, including her best outing in the phase, 129 (149) against Australia at Taunton in July 2023, a Player-of-the-Match performance that showcased her temperament and class against elite opposition.
Importantly, Sciver-Brunt’s all-round value cannot be overstated: 14 wickets at 33.21 and a tight economy of 4.27 in 16 innings underline her role as a genuine bowling option. With England seeking to erase memories of their runners-up finish in Christchurch 2022, Sciver-Brunt’s form and fitness will be the bedrock of any successful campaign. The ODI series against India is not just a platform for rhythm-building after injury, but also an opportunity to lead from the front, both with the bat and potentially with the ball, as she regains match fitness in subcontinental-like conditions that will mirror the World Cup challenge.
Alice Capsey: A Young Talent with a Point to Prove
At just 20, Alice Capsey stands on the threshold of a career-defining phase. Though her T20I returns against India (30 runs in four innings) saw her left out of the final match, the ODI series presents a fresh slate for the all-rounder to reaffirm her credentials. In ODIs over the past two years, Capsey has notched 263 runs at a strike rate of 76.45, with an average of 20.23 across 16 innings. While her highest score remains 44, her aggressive intent and ability to change games in the middle order remain assets England are keen to harness.
Crucially, Capsey’s 12 wickets at 23.58 from 13 innings – at an economy of 4.74 speak to her usefulness as a bowling option, particularly in conditions that could favour variations and clever changeups. With competition for World Cup spots heating up, Capsey will view the India ODIs as a high-stakes audition, aiming to cement her place in the starting XI and add depth to England’s all-round ranks. A strong series could well be the confidence boost she needs ahead of the biggest ODI event in the women’s calendar this year.
Charlie Dean: England’s Spin Sensation on the Rise
England’s emergence as a white-ball powerhouse owes much to the development of match-winning bowlers like Charlie Dean. The 24-year-old off-spinner has rapidly become the joint-highest ODI wicket-taker for England (alongside Sophie Ecclestone) in the last two years, scalping 33 wickets in 19 innings. Her 23.21 average and 4.91 economy mark her as both a wicket-taking threat and a run-restrictor, a rare duality in modern ODI cricket. Dean’s headline acts include a five-wicket haul (5-31) against Sri Lanka last September at Leicester, and two four-wicket hauls, highlighting her ability to turn games on her own.
Not just a bowler, Dean’s emerging batting prowess, 173 runs at an average of 24.71 and a strike rate of 67.57 in 11 innings, gives England valuable lower-order resilience. As the World Cup beckons in Asian conditions where spin is often decisive, Dean’s performance in this series could solidify her pairing with Ecclestone as one of the most formidable spin duos on the circuit. For England, her form here could be a microcosm of their World Cup fate.
Emily Arlott: New Blood, New Hope
Every successful World Cup campaign needs a bolter, and Emily Arlott, the 27-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder, is making a late but compelling case. Having made her international debut only in May 2025, Arlott was impressive first up in the T20I format (4-0-28-1 against West Indies) and has quickly transitioned to ODIs. In just two innings with the ball, she has already picked up 4 wickets at a remarkable average of 13.00, conceding at just 4.33 an over.
As India’s powerful middle order awaits, Arlott’s skills, swing, seam, and ability to deliver under pressure will face stern examination. But for England, this series is about unearthing new match-winners who can adapt to subcontinental wickets. If Arlott can keep her bowling incisive and disciplined, she may emerge as the missing piece in England’s World Cup puzzle, adding fresh depth to their pace attack and staking a claim for a seat on the plane to India and Sri Lanka.
The road to the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 runs right through this England-India series. For Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, and Emily Arlott, it offers a high-stakes rehearsal and a steppingstone for even bigger moments to come. As the cricketing world’s attention turns to England’s response after a testing T20I series, the performances of these four stars will not only shape the outcome of this series but also set the tone for England’s World Cup ambitions in the months ahead. The countdown to September 30 has begun and so has the race for places in England’s title quest.
