Questions, criticism and proverbial knives: Mandhana suddenly in an uncomfortable spot after red-hot run in 2025

Cast your mind back to September 30, 2025. It is the opening game of the Women’s World Cup. India, under slightly dark skies in Guwahati, are inserted into bat by Sri Lanka. The Women In Blue, though, hope to brighten that horizon with the sort of free-flowing stroke-play that has become a hallmark of their game recently.

Smriti Mandhana is front and centre of that change in tack. Just a few days ago, she racked up the second-fastest hundred in women’s ODIs , and did that against Australia. This World Cup, thus, seems to have come at exactly the right time for India’s batting lynchpin.

She starts off with a couple of boundaries. Both with the sort of authority so regularly associated with her. Then, with the scoreboard reading 14-0 after 3.1 overs, she tries to land another punch and signal her intention to dominate.

Mandhana charges Udeshika Prabodhani, frees her arms but picks out sweeper cover. A dismissal Sri Lanka seem to have planned, and a dismissal that Mandhana could not escape from. India stumble, only to regain a foothold and coast past Sri Lanka.

Mandhana’s bad day at the office, thus, is considered just that. A bad day.

Then, the game against Pakistan happens. Where Mandhana looks scratchy and fights for rhythm. A trait that, usually, is not synonymous with her. She falls into a category of batters who could even make a forward defence feel artistic and glorious. But her adventure in Colombo against Pakistan only yields 23. Maybe another bad day at the office. Perfectly acceptable for someone scoring tons of runs otherwise this year.

Third time unlucky? 

A few days later, South Africa come calling. The odd stroke does elicit a collective gasp from those watching, but everything Mandhana seems to be doing seems a touch out of sync. The shape is not quite right. The timing is not quite there. And as it turns out, the shot selection is not quite up to scratch either.

A tame chip to long on, despite a fielder being placed for exactly that shot, like against Sri Lanka, and Mandhana’s stay is cut short. 23 runs made again. Impact not delivered again. And India, under early pressure again.

Had anyone said a fortnight ago that Mandhana, after three Women’s World Cup games, would average 18 and strike at lesser than 100, they would have been scoffed at. That is because Mandhana, in 2025, has done what no woman has ever done.

The 982 runs ransacked this year are the most by any cricketer in women’s ODIs in any year, and those runs have come at a strike rate of more than 110. She is on four ODI centuries for the year too, and only Tazmin Brits can boast a greater record in that regard.

But of those 982, only 54 have come at this World Cup, and that is where this discrepancy, or blip or whatever you want to call it, has arisen. And it has also opened up a can of worms – of whether Mandhana finds it difficult to turn up at the Women’s World Cup, and if there is indeed a case of unfulfilled potential.

Across 19 Women’s World Cup games, Mandhana now averages only 34.05 and strikes at just under 83. Her corresponding career numbers, in contrast, are 47.06 and 89.61. And if this year’s stats are thrown into the mix, it appears even more skewed.

India’s over-reliance on Mandhana has never been starker either. With the opener happy to take up the aggressive role at the top, India have been inclined to prefer Pratika Rawal, who is not as swashbuckling as Shafali Verma, but offers more consistency and stability. In fact, they have even tended to bat Harleen Deol at three, who in terms of batting style, is very similar to Rawal.

Three different yet eerily similar rescue acts

Mandhana not showing up so far has coincided with India rummaging for momentum in each game, which has then led to a search for a spurt, and subsequent wickets, often leading to collapses. Three matches have forced India into three different yet eerily similar rescue acts. While that is not a bad thing per se, it has held India back as a batting unit, with 269 being their highest total.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has not covered herself in glory with the bat either. And that has just magnified the issues India seem to be having, in terms of their balance. She has a much superior Women’s World Cup record than Mandhana, and has historically performed better when the lights shine brighter. But at this World Cup, those characteristics have not come through yet.

Harmanpreet and Mandhana’s struggles may have a knock-on effect too . India, now suddenly unsure about Harmanpreet and Mandhana’s returns, may opt to persist with the extra batter. When Amanjot Kaur has been fit, India have played with just five proper bowlers anyway, including Amanjot.

That, though, was shown up by South Africa, who despite sliding to 81-5 and then 142-6, chased 252 with more than an over to spare. And while much of that was down to Nadine de Klerk’s genius and one of the greatest-ever knocks in a run-chase , it was also a byproduct of India not having that viable sixth option just to shake things up, and ask South Africa different questions.

In an ideal case scenario, India would want Amanjot to be the sixth bowler, capable of chipping in but also of being more prominent. But if they have the conviction to go down that path, especially with their two stalwarts scrapping for runs, is a different matter altogether.

And that is why Harmanpreet and Mandhana, as a pair, need to find a way. Mostly because India, more often than not, depend on their runs and for them to set the tone, but also because both of them, quite simply put, need runs.

Can Mandhana put an end to growing criticism? 

If and when that happens, all of this talk, all of this chatter of Mandhana not doing justice to her talent, or not being able to withstand the pressure of a World Cup, will feel premature and pretty ridiculous. As will the discussion around whether Harmanpreet can recreate what she has almost always done on the biggest stage.

But until then, there will be questions. There will be criticism. And there will be the sharpening of the proverbial knives. More so for Mandhana because this was, and perhaps still is, her World Cup to seize and star in.

At the very end of September, Mandhana departing early was dismissed as an aberration. An anomaly. Just a bad day at the office. But she is too good to keep having bad days. And given the way the cricketing cookie crumbles, it may not be long before her low returns at the World Cup are considered the average day, with anything above and beyond being looked at as the exception, rather than the other way round.

Mandhana cannot let that happen. She should not let that happen. And India and their fans, under deep breaths, and hushed tones, might just be saying that Mandhana must not let it happen either.