New Delhi, October 20 (Daily Kiran): After India’s narrow four-run defeat to England in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 league match at Indore, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana took full responsibility for the loss, admitting that her mistimed shot in the 42nd over turned the match in England’s favor.
Mandhana played a brilliant 88-run innings, anchoring India’s chase before attempting an aerial shot over covers that went straight to long-off. Reflecting on her dismissal, she said, “I wanted to hit it over covers, but I mistimed the shot. I should have shown more patience. The whole innings I kept telling myself not to play in the air — but maybe emotions took over at that moment, which never helps in cricket.”
She acknowledged that her wicket triggered a collapse. “The fall of wickets started with me, so I take responsibility for that. We needed just six runs an over at that stage. Maybe we should have taken the game a bit deeper,” she added.
When Mandhana was dismissed, India required 55 runs off 52 balls with six wickets in hand. Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma were at the crease, but the team faltered under pressure. “I genuinely believed we would win. But in cricket, nothing is certain. Our shot selection could have been better overall,” Mandhana said.
She also dismissed suggestions that Richa Ghosh was solely responsible for finishing the game. “We only needed around 6.5 runs per over — not nine. Players like Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana have finished matches for us before. It wasn’t about one player; we all needed to take responsibility in those final overs.”
India had made one major change in the playing XI, replacing Jemimah Rodrigues with Renuka Singh Thakur to strengthen the bowling attack. Mandhana explained, “Playing with five bowlers is always a bit risky if one has an off day, so we wanted an extra bowling option.”
Looking ahead, Mandhana said the team is determined to bounce back in their next crucial match against New Zealand on October 23 in Navi Mumbai, which will likely decide India’s semifinal chances.
“Cricket doesn’t give you easy days,” she said. “We have to accept tough moments and move forward. We know where we went wrong, and against New Zealand, we’ll give our absolute best.”
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
