Smriti Mandhana holds back tears as India suffer shock collapse in chase against England

Smriti Mandhana fights back tears as India suffer narrow defeat to England in Women’s World Cup 2025.

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana struggled to hold back tears as her team suffered their third consecutive loss in the Women’s World Cup 2025 on Sunday, October 19, at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. India fell short by just four runs while chasing 289 in their allotted 50 overs, leaving them in a precarious position on the points table.

Mandhana top-scored for India with a brilliant 88 off 94 balls, including eight boundaries. Despite her valiant effort, the team’s lower order collapsed in the final overs, preventing them from completing the chase. Mandhana was visibly dejected in the dugout after being dismissed in the 42nd over, as India failed to finish the game.

At the 40-over mark, India were 227/3, needing 62 runs off the last ten overs with seven wickets in hand. Mandhana and Deepti Sharma had added a crucial 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but following Mandhana’s departure, Deepti Sharma (50 off 57), Richa Ghosh (8 off 10), Amanjot Kaur (18* off 15), and Sneh Rana (10* off 9) could not chase down the target.

Despite her sparkling innings, Mandhana took responsibility for the collapse, acknowledging that her wicket triggered the slide. With this defeat, India now sits fourth on the points table with four points from five matches.

India face a must-win clash against New Zealand in their next match, followed by a final group game against Bangladesh. They will need victories in both fixtures to secure a smooth path to the semi-finals or else rely on other results to qualify.