Smriti Mandhana rates India's maiden ICC Women's World Cup win ‘7 out of 10’; Why did Indian vice-captain cut 3 marks?

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana recently rated India’s first-ever Women’s World Cup win a 7 out of 10. While the “Women in Blue” made history, the star opener believes the team has serious areas to improve. The 2025 tournament was India's best chance to win, as the event took place on home soil.

The campaign was a rollercoaster. After starting with two wins, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side lost three straight matches to Australia, England, and South Africa. However, a stunning turnaround allowed India to script history at home, echoing the 2011 triumph of MS Dhoni’s men.

With another World Cup next year (T20), Mandhana stated that the current batch of players is a work in progress and cautioned against relying too heavily on their 2025 triumph. “We've had times when we could have won matches, but we couldn't this year," Mandhana told BCCI.tv.

“And again, this team being this young, we are always a work in progress. There will be a World Cup, but it's still a work in progress. If you keep thinking about the World Cup, the next one won't come. If I had to review it more critically, I would give it 7 out of 10. We have many areas to improve as a team,” added the southpaw.

With the likes of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami retired, the onus was completely on Mandhana and Harmanpreet - the super seniors at the moment in Indian women's cricket.

Why Smriti Mandhana gave 7 out of 10?

Despite India's historic ODI World Cup win, several loopholes nearly cost the Women in Blue during the group stages, with ‘poor fielding’ being one of the major areas of concern.

Notably, Australian captain Alyssa Healy went on to score 142 in the group stage clash against India after being dropped on 12. The Indians dropped Healy once again in the semifinals, before a Jemimah Rodrigues masterclass saved the hosts.

If statistics are to be believed, India dropped an astonishing 18 catches during the whole tournament. Not just fielding, India was heavily reliant on their top order during the initial stages of the tournament, which was evident against lower-ranked teams like Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

India's struggle against left-arm spin and the psychological factor also played a significant role.

What's next for Indian women's team?

Following the triumph, India returned to action in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, dishing out a much-improved show. The Harmanpreet-led side has already won the first four games in the series, with the fifth and final game scheduled for Tuesday.

Along with the men's team, the Indian women's team will also participate in the T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom around June.