Smriti Mandhana was predicted to be India’s key batting player in the Women’s World Cup 2025, particularly given her impressive pre-tournament performances against Australia.
In contrast, the southpaw scored 8 and 23 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively, in India’s opening two games in the eight-team championship. She was thrown out by pacers both times.
However, India won both games in spite of Smriti’s dismal campaign debut. The Women in Blue aren’t particularly concerned about Smriti’s run deficit, according to seasoned Indian wicketkeeper Sushma Verma. According to Verma, seasoned activists like Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues can have a big influence.
“That’s a really crucial point. I mean, if Smriti doesn’t perform, what other players could score as much as her if we want to win the World Cup? In response to a question from India Today during a Media Day, Sushma Verma, JioStar specialist for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, stated, “Yes, that’s a bit of a concern for the team — but I wouldn’t call it a major concern, because everyone is in good shape, and I think everyone is capable.”
“If you look at Jemimah, you can see that she has the kind of innings she can play. Harman can do it, too, right? Simply put, it’s not a huge concern if Smriti doesn’t score runs—if the runs aren’t coming off her bat, if she hasn’t performed to the standard or level she has established for herself, or if we’re used to seeing her produce. These things do happen; there are always highs and lows in major competitions.
I believe it to be somewhat of a gift in disguise for the others: Sushma Verma
Sushma, who hasn’t represented India since 2021, believes that if Smriti is dismissed cheaply, it will actually be a boon, allowing the other hitters on the side to take the pitch.
The crucial thing is that those times turn into chances for the others to stand up and score a lot of points. Generally speaking, the top order always dominates the run charts because it is quite uncommon otherwise. The middle order has fewer opportunities than the openers, who naturally get to face more balls. Therefore, I believe it’s a bit of a gift in disguise for the others—they must take charge during those times,” Sushma continued.
India will play their next match at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, October 9, against South Africa, captained by Laura Wolvaardt.
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