Elegant, consistent, and unflinchingly reliable, Smriti Mandhana has become the heartbeat of India’s batting unit, especially over the last couple of years.For over a decade, Mithali Raj was the face and foundation of Indian women’s cricket — the calm constant in the batting order who carried the team through thick and thin. Today, that mantle rests firmly on Smriti Mandhana’s shoulder’s.
But therein lies the concern. The more India’s fortunes hinge on Smriti Mandhana, the more fragile their batting appears when she falters. Her cover drives may still light up stadiums, but one player cannot be the pillar holding up an entire batting lineup.
India defeated Pakistan in their second game of the Women’s World Cup by 88 runs to top the points table. India now have two wins in two games and are topping the charts. Earlier, they had defeated Sri Lanka by 59 runs in the tournament opener. Harmanpreet Singh’s side is on course for a semifinal berth. India have never won the Women’s World Cup and have lost twice in the final.
Smriti Mandhana’s Poor Women’s World Cup Form
However, there is a major cause for worry as India enter the business end of their campaign with games lined up against the top teams. The reason for being worried is the poor form of run-machine Smriti Mandhana. The 29-year-old came into the Women’s World Cup in sensational form and was set to light the competition on fire. But the opposite happened.
It’s been twin failures by Smriti so far. Against Sri Lanka she made eight and managed just 23 against Pakistan. That’s 31 runs in two innings at an average of just 15.50. It’s caused fans to say that she only does well in bilaterals and not in ICC events. Smriti’s horror show with the bat has done nothing to help her case.
Recently, Smriti Mandhana piled up 300 runs in the ODI series against Australia, yet India still lost 1–2. In each of those games, she laid the perfect foundation before the rest of the lineup failed to capitalise. During the 413-run chase at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Zealand, her fastest ODI hundred — a scintillating 125 — reduced the asking rate from 8.26 to 6.7. For 43 overs, India were ahead of the curve before the innings fizzled out.
In the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka, the script flipped. Smriti Mandhana fell early to 40-year-old left-arm pacer Udeshika Prabodhani — the oldest player in the tournament — leaving India to find their rhythm without their talisman.
Just when momentum began to build, left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera tore through the middle order, removing Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur in a single over. Chamari Athapaththu soon added to the chaos by dismissing Richa Ghosh, and in the blink of an eye, India had collapsed from 120 for two to 124 for six. If not for a composed 103-run rescue act from Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur, the result could have been far bleaker.
In the Sri Lanka game, Smriti hardly got a chance to settle. She did get a decent start vs Pakistan but failed to convert it into a big score. Yes, her failures did not affect the outcome of the games but India do need her back in form as tougher opponents are around the corner. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has urged Smriti Mandhana that the time has arrived when she starts delivering with the bat to add boost to the Indian batting setup.
Aakash Chopra’s harsh take on Smriti Mandhana
Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that he isn’t concerned about Smriti Mandhana’s lack of runs in her first two innings in the Women’s World Cup 2025. However, he opined that the opener needs to be among the runs in the upcoming big games if the Indian team wants to win their maiden World Cup.
Smriti Mandhana scored 23 runs off 32 deliveries as India set Pakistan a 248-run target in their Women’s World Cup 2025 clash in Colombo on Sunday, October 5. The Women in Blue then bowled Fatima Sana and company out for 159 to register a comprehensive 88-run win. During a discussion on Star Sports, Chopra was asked about Smriti Mandhana failing to convert her start into a substantial score in India’s Women’s World Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan.
“She got out to a good ball. She was giving herself time as well after she played and missed once or twice. It’s said form is temporary and class is permanent, and for her, you can’t even say form is a problem because she scored a 50-ball 100 recently in Delhi in the last match of the bilateral series, where she became the fastest Indian to score a century,” the former India opener responded.
“So, I am not worried. I am not concerned. However, it’s also true that if the Indian team has to be on the podium on November 2, it won’t happen without her scoring runs. Sri Lanka and Pakistan were slightly easier games. You could have won these games without her contribution, and the Indian team showed that by doing it. However, we won’t be able to win our upcoming games without her,” Chopra added.
Smriti Mandhana was dismissed lbw off Fatima Sana’s bowling after a 48-run opening partnership with Pratika Rawal (31 off 37). The left-handed opener managed only eight runs off 10 deliveries in the tournament opener against Sri Lanka.n the same discussion, Aakash Chopra expressed hope that Smriti Mandhana would be among the runs in India’s upcoming home games in the Women’s World Cup 2025.
“I really hope that, on the good batting wickets we are talking about, which we are expecting in India, where India play well, all of us like home food and the atmosphere at home, she gets going and makes big runs,” he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the stylish batter’s indifferent start to the tournament could prove to be a blessing in disguise.
“Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Assuming you start the World Cup with a hundred and then score a fifty, the hunger reduces a little. However, she will be hungry now as she hasn’t scored runs. It’s her tournament and she hasn’t left her imprint on it yet. So do something that will remain in our memory for a long time,” Chopra explained.
Smriti Mandhana has amassed 959 runs at an average of 59.93 in 16 ODI innings this year. She struck two centuries, including the fastest-ever by an Indian, and a half-century in the preceding three-match ODI series against Australia. Smriti Mandhana has featured in three ODI World Cups so far since 2017, amassing 567 runs from 17 matches at an average of 35.43 with two hundreds and three fifties.
The numbers suggest that she hasn’t always been consistent on the grandest stage, which makes it even more crucial for the rest of the lineup to stay alert and contribute. There will be days when Mandhana’s bat stays silent — and on those days, India must ensure the silence doesn’t echo through the dressing room.With sterner challenges ahead — England, Australia, and others waiting down the line — India’s middle order will have to evolve from being passengers to partners. Mandhana can continue to lead, but she cannot carry.
With Smriti Mandhana in breathtaking form, all eyes will inevitably be on her. Yet it’s equally important for her teammates to rally around her — to give her the freedom to play her natural game without the burden of worrying what might happen if she falls early.
India have games lined up against South Africa, Australia, England, and New Zealand. The next four matches will determine their progress in the tournament. India’s last league match is against Bangladesh but by then we shall probably know if India are finishing in the top four or not. Australia are the biggest threat as they aim for a record eighth title while England are strong contenders looking for a fifth crown.
India’s next game is against South Africa on October 9. The all-important clash vs Australia is on October 12. England and New Zealand will face India on October 19 and 23 respectively while the last match with Bangladesh is on October 26. Should India finish in the top four, they will play on October 29 or 30 depending on their position. The final is on November 2.
Also Read: Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: A Plot Twist No One Saw Coming