The ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 produced another high-octane classic as England edged India by just 4 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. In a gripping contest between two evenly matched teams, Heather Knight’s mature knock of 109 (91) guided England to 288/8, before India’s spirited chase — led by Smriti Mandhana (88), Harmanpreet Kaur (70) and Deepti Sharma (50 & 4/51) — fell narrowly short at 284/6 after 50 overs.
It was a defeat that left India’s camp visibly emotional, but also full of fight. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, after the game, reflecting on the fine margins, her side’s growth, and the upcoming do-or-die clash against New Zealand — with both teams now tied at 4 points from 5 matches, turning their next encounter against each other, on October 23rd is now a probable virtual quarter-final.
Harmanpreet began by pinpointing the crucial moment that swung the game England’s way — the dismissal of Smriti Mandhana in the 42nd over when India seemed in control of the chase, “I think Smriti’s wicket was something which was a turning point for us, and I still think we had too many batters. I don’t know how things went the other way, but credit goes to England. They didn’t lose. They kept bowling well and kept getting wickets there.”
The India skipper didn’t hide her emotions as she spoke about the team’s frustration after a string of near misses. Despite consistent performances, India have now lost three close games in succession, “It (the feeling) is bad because you have put in so much hard work and you kept ticking the box till the end, but the last 5-6 overs didn’t go according to your plan. That’s the worst but definitely it’s a very heartbreaking moment.”
Still, Harmanpreet emphasized that the team’s resolve remains strong and their effort unquestionable, “We are playing good cricket, we are not giving up. But that last line we have to cross now because it’s been the last three games where we showed up with good cricket. But unfortunately ended up on the losing side and hopefully the next game is very important for us, and we’ll cross that line.”
Reflecting on the first innings, Harmanpreet praised India’s bowlers for their disciplined performance, especially considering the batting form of England’s senior duo, “Our bowlers did a really good job because when Nat and Heather were batting, they were looking really good. And we thought if we can get them to less than 300, that’s a plus for us because this pitch and the ground is very fast and we can chase, that’s why we wanted to bowl first.”
She added that most tactical calls had worked as planned, and the team executed their bowling plans well until the closing overs, “A lot of things we did right. But again, last five overs, something which again we need to, as a group, sit together and rethink.”
When asked if India needed an extra batter in the lineup, Harmanpreet was firm in her belief that the team combination was not at fault, “(If they needed an extra batter) These things will keep going because I think things were under control when Smriti and I were batting. And I think Smriti’s wicket was turning for us.”
The skipper also expressed confidence in the middle order, highlighting the proven match-winning abilities of the players who followed, “But still, we had Richa, Amanjot and Deepti, who have won games for us in the past. But unfortunately, today we were not able to make it.”
Despite the narrow defeat, Harmanpreet maintained a positive outlook, focusing on the lessons learned and the significance of the matches ahead, “It was a very important match for all of us. We wanted to show good cricket as a group. And unfortunately, in the end, we were not able to make it. Even though we ended up losing, we really played good cricket, and we haven’t given anyone anything easily. But now the next game is very important and hopefully it will go our way.”
With India and New Zealand now level on points, their upcoming clash will play a big role in determining who advances to the semi-finals — a virtual quarterfinal that could define India’s World Cup journey. As Harmanpreet said, India have been “ticking the boxes till the end”; now, they’ll be determined to finally cross that last line.
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