India qualifies for 2025 Asia Cup Baseball

The Indian women’s baseball team on Monday defeated host Thailand 6-5 in thrilling super round match of the Women's Baseball Asia Cup Qualifiers 2025 held in Bangkok, Thailand.

By virtue of their win, team India qualified for the 2025 Women’s Baseball Asia Cup. The tournament is hosted every two years and will serve as the Asian qualifiers for the Women's Baseball World Cup.

In the final super round against the hosts, the Indian team was trailing for majority of the match. But a clutch play in the sixth and seventh inning ensured a win. Sowmya base hit and Sooraj got to home plate safely, turning the match in their favour.

Clutch play is a phenomenon where a player's performance is particularly effective under pressure, often leading to game-changing plays.

India registered wins over Sri Lanka (14-4), Pakistan (2-1), Iran (13-0) and Thailand (6-5). Their only loss of the tournament came against Indonesia (3-5).

Against Indonesia, the Indian team were leading 3-2 until the sixth innings but conceded 3 runs and were unable to launch a comeback in the seventh inning.

This will be India's fourth consecutive appearance in the continental championship. A total of six teams have already qualified for the tournament.

India’s best finish in the Asia Cup was fifth place during their debut in 2004. The sport is governed by the Amateur Baseball Federation of India.