Smriti Mandhana Takes Accountability for India’s Brainfade Loss to England in World Cup Despite Scoring 88

Despite Smriti Mandhana's heroics, England victory highlighted India's persistent inability to successfully chase challenging totals in W-ODIs.

Smriti Mandhana Takes Accountability for India’s Brainfade Loss to England in World Cup Despite Scoring 88

Smriti Mandhana took full responsibility for India's dismal four-run defeat to England at 2025 Women's World Cup. (via India Today)

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India Women’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana took responsibility for the team’s defeat to England in a crucial group-stage encounter at the 2025 Women’s World Cup. While Mandhana did finish as India’s top-scorer with a flawless 88 runs, she failed to take her team over the line. 

The Women in Blue suffered their third World Cup defeat in a row, after having previously lost back-to-back group stage matches against South Africa and Australia. Now, losing to England this time by a margin of just four runs made it worse. Opting to bat first, the Three Lionesses posted a first innings total of 288/8, thanks to a brilliant 109 run-innings off 91 deliveries by veteran all-rounder Heather Knight.

In response, while India did not endure a good start following Pratika Rawal’s wicket in the third over, they made made an inspiring comeback with a 125-run stand between skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. 

In spite of the valiant batting effort, India Women could not chase down the target, finishing with 284/6 on the board. The team suffered yet another late batting collapse, despite needing only 62 runs in the final ten overs.

Smriti Mandhana, who had been fluent in her knock of 88 runs off 94 balls, which included eight fours, had a catastrophic ‘brainfade’ moment when she was dismissed attempting a poor shot. Her ill-conceived lofted drive did not carry far enough, finding Alice Capsey at long-off. The rest of the Indian batting order crumbled quickly after this dismissal, including half-centurions, Deepti Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur.

Speaking after the match, the 29-year-old took full responsibility for the late collapse. She admitted that emotions had taken over her in the crucial stages, and she took the unnecessary risk of attempting a lofted shot. Smriti Mandhana took accountability for the defeat, pointing to her own poor shot-selection, while further noted that her teammates could also have executed better in that phase, thus highlighting the collective mistakes.

The emotions took over for that one, which never helps in cricket… Especially it [the collapse] started from me so I will take it on me that the shot selection should have been better. Maybe we should have taken the game deeper.

Smriti Madhana at the post-match press conference (H/T Cricbuzz)

Following the England defeat, the Women in Blue will now have to win their next group stage encounter against New Zealand on October 23. The team will also be aiming for a place among the final four, with Australia, South Africa and England having already qualified. 

Smriti Mandhana’s numbers in the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup so far as Run-Fest continues

Smriti Mandhana has been in great touch at the ongoing 2025 Women’s World Cup as well, and remains in the fourth position among the highest run-getters in the competition so far. The 29-year-old has enjoyed a magnificent run of form in ODI cricket, since the start of the year. 

Smriti Mandhana form
Smriti Mandhana has been in great form in ODIs this year, scoring over 1,000 runs so far. (via Free Press Journal)

Smriti Mandhana, in the match against Australia, became the first player in Women’s ODI cricket history to score over 1,000 runs in a calendar year. She has scored 222 runs in five matches so far, at an average of 44.50, and a strike-rate of 94.67. The ace opener started her 2025 WC campaign on a slow note with successive low scores, but made a comeback by scoring 168 runs in their last two matches, combined. 

Apart from Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Pratika Rawal have been the other Indian players among the runs, at the 2025 World Cup. Rawal is ranked sixth on the list of top run-getters with 186 runs in five matches at an average of 37.20. Richa Ghosh has scored 171 runs in five innings so far at an average of 42.75, including a blistering 94 runs off just 77 deliveries in the losing cause against South Africa. 

In bowling, veteran all-rounder Deepti Sharma is on top of the list of wicket-takers, with 13 scalps in five matches at an average of 19.69. Apart from Sharma, N Shree Charani has been the only other bright spot in a dismal Indian bowling attack, having scalped eight wickets so far. 

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