India had already secured their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup before their final group stage match against Bangladesh, which was held in Navi Mumbai. However, persistent rain played a decisive role in the outcome of this game, preventing it from reaching a conclusion and resulting in a no-result. Despite the disappointment of the washout, India’s dominant form throughout the tournament has set them up for a high-stakes semi-final clash against defending champions Australia, scheduled to take place at the same venue later in the week.
The match between India and Bangladesh was heavily affected by rain delays and interruptions. Originally planned as a full game, the match was first reduced to 43 overs per side due to inclement weather, and subsequently further shortened to 27 overs a side after a long break caused by persistent showers. Bangladesh batted first and managed to post a total of 119 runs for the loss of 9 wickets within their 27 overs. Sharmin Akter Supta was the top scorer for Bangladesh, contributing a gritty 36 runs off 53 deliveries. Bangladesh’s innings lacked momentum toward the end, as India’s bowlers applied pressure and picked up wickets regularly. Yastika Bhatia Yadav was among the Indian bowlers who made an impact, taking three wickets for 30 runs.
India’s response to the target was steady before the rain returned and ultimately forced the match to be abandoned. At the time the game was called off, India were 57 without loss after 8.4 overs, with opener Smriti Mandhana unbeaten on 34 runs from 27 balls. Mandhana has been in remarkable form throughout the tournament and remains the highest run scorer so far, continuing her purple patch and solidifying her role as India’s key batting star. Opening alongside Mandhana was Amanjot Kaur, who had added 15 runs off 25 balls before the interruption brought the match to an early end.
While the weather was the primary spoiler, India had to contend with an injury scare during the match that has raised concerns ahead of the upcoming semi-final. Pratika Rawal, India’s other opener and the tournament’s second-highest run scorer with 309 runs, sustained an ankle injury while fielding. Rawal twisted her ankle attempting to stop a boundary on the slippery outfield at DY Patil Stadium and had to be assisted off the field by medical staff. She was visibly in pain, and the extent of her injury remains uncertain. This is a significant blow for India, as Rawal has been a crucial component of their batting lineup, having already demonstrated her ability to handle top-quality bowling attacks. In the group stage, she shared substantial opening partnerships with Mandhana, including a 155-run stand against Australia and a 212-run opening partnership against New Zealand, where both players scored centuries.
India’s bowling had been effective early on, with Renuka Singh Thakur striking in the very first over to dismiss Bangladesh’s opener Sumaiya Akter. Deepti Sharma, the off-spinner, also contributed by taking the wicket of Rubya Haider Jhelik in the 10th over. However, the match was soon interrupted by rain, and after a delay exceeding two hours, the reduced-overs contest resumed. Bangladesh’s middle order, led by Sobhana Mostary who scored an unbeaten 66 against Australia earlier in the tournament, tried to keep the scoreboard ticking. Mostary and Sharmin Akter Supta combined to hit most of the boundaries for Bangladesh, but once Mostary fell for 26 runs off 21 balls at 91 for 4 in the 22nd over, Bangladesh’s innings faltered. India’s bowlers took control, capturing wickets in consecutive overs and restricting Bangladesh from accelerating the run rate.
With a target adjusted to 126 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method due to the rain reduction, India had a manageable chase in sight before the weather intervened. Mandhana’s fluent hitting, including six boundaries, had India well positioned to chase down the target comfortably. Unfortunately, the rain returned, and the match officials had no choice but to call off the game, resulting in no result for this dead rubber. While the lack of a result was disappointing, the priority for India will now be recovering from Rawal’s injury and preparing for their semi-final battle.
Heading into the semi-finals, India’s confidence is high given their dominant performances throughout the group stage.