England clinched a four-run victory over India in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 on Sunday, securing their spot in the semifinals. Chasing 289 at Holkar Stadium, India looked poised for victory but suffered a late collapse. The loss, India's third consecutive defeat, now puts their semifinal hopes in jeopardy, turning their upcoming match against New Zealand into a virtual knockout.
England’s innings was anchored by former captain Heather Knight, who hit a 91-ball 109, her third ODI century. Knight shared a 113-run stand with current captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, setting a strong platform. However, India’s bowlers, led by Deepti Sharma's 4/51, fought back to restrict England’s lower order, leaving the total at 288/8, which seemed chaseable.
In response, India was in control for 48 overs. A 125-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana (88) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (70) stabilized the innings after early losses. Mandhana and Deepti Sharma (50) continued the chase, but the match turned when Mandhana was caught at long-off in the 42nd over. Deepti fell in the 47th, and India's lower order could not complete the chase.
After the match, Harmanpreet Kaur identified the turning point: “Smriti’s wicket was the turning point for us. We still had batters, but I don’t know how things went the other way. Credit to England, it didn’t lose hope and kept bowling and getting wickets.” The captain called the loss a "heartbreaking moment," adding, "We are playing good cricket, we are not giving up, but we have to cross the line... we will have to rethink about what happened in those last five overs.” Mandhana also took responsibility: "the collapse started from me, so I will take it on me... Maybe the shot wasn’t needed at that time."
With England joining Australia and South Africa in the last four, only one semifinal spot remains. India, currently fourth, faces New Zealand in a must-win fixture on October 23. India must win both of their remaining matches (against New Zealand and Bangladesh) to guarantee qualification. If India loses to New Zealand, they will have to beat Bangladesh and hope the Kiwis lose their final match to England.
