With three games into their Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign, India have won two and lost one, but their top-order batting continues to be a worrying sign.
The pattern is hard to ignore – India were reduced to 124/6 against Sri Lanka, 203/7 by Pakistan, and most recently, 102/6 by South Africa. While the middle and lower order has bailed them out on occasion, the early collapses are putting the team under constant pressure.
At the heart of the issue is the poor form of India’s most experienced top-order trio – Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues. In total, they have managed only 135 runs across nine combined innings so far. Mandhana and Harmanpreet, known for their reliability, have failed to build on their starts, while Jemimah has just one noteworthy knock under her belt.
| Player | Matches | Innings | Runs | HS | Avg | Balls Faced | SR | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smriti Mandhana | 3 | 3 | 54 | 23 | 18.00 | 74 | 72.97 | 7 | 1 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 3 | 3 | 49 | 21 | 16.33 | 77 | 63.63 | 4 | 0 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | 3 | 3 | 32 | 32 | 10.66 | 42 | 76.19 | 5 | 0 |
Richa Ghosh Defends Seniors
Despite the mounting criticism, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh came out in support of the senior batters. Speaking after the match, she said,
“They’re all very good players. One match doesn’t define them. Anything can happen in cricket – our job is to give our best every time we step out. You can’t keep blaming the top order. We’ll review the game, see where we can improve, and keep learning every day. One loss won’t change our mindset. We’ll stay positive and move forward with the lessons learned.”
Poor Starts Hurting Middle Order
India’s opening partnerships in the three matches so far – 14 vs Sri Lanka, 48 vs Pakistan, and 55 vs South Africa – have been modest at best. These slow starts are having a ripple effect on the rest of the batting order, with increased pressure leading to sluggish strike rotation and difficulty in finding boundaries during the middle overs.
Struggles Against Left-Arm Spin
Another concern for India has been their inability to handle left-arm spin. The team has lost 12 wickets to left-arm spinners – the most by any side in the tournament. Jemimah Rodrigues herself has fallen to left-arm spin in all three games so far.
Speaking about this challenge, Jemimah acknowledged the threat, saying,
“Having a left-arm spinner is a big advantage, especially in conditions like Guwahati or even Sri Lanka. As batters, we just keep practising. We don’t overthink. We try to stick to our plans, focus on what we do best, and trust that things will fall into place.”
What’s Next?
India still sit in a strong position on the points table, but the road ahead only gets tougher. With the competition heating up, they’ll need their big guns to step up – and soon. If Mandhana, Harmanpreet, and Jemimah can find form in the coming games, India will look a much stronger, more balanced side heading into the business end of the tournament.