India Women’s Team Visits Mahakaleshwar Temple After Consecutive World Cup Defeats

The India women’s cricket team visited the sacred Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on October 15, 2025, seeking divine blessings following two consecutive three-wicket losses in their home ICC Women’s World Cup campaign. The players attended the early morning Bhasma Aarti and offered prayers in the Nandi Hall, hoping for a change in fortune ahead of their upcoming fixtures.

India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, currently sits third on the points table with four points from four matches and a net run rate of 0.682. Following their defeats to South Africa and Australia in Visakhapatnam, the hosts face mounting pressure to deliver strong performances in their remaining games to stay in contention for a semifinal berth.

India’s Qualification Scenario

With three league matches left, India’s path to the semifinals remains within reach. Winning all remaining games would guarantee their progression with 10 points, while two wins could still suffice depending on the net run rate. However, another loss would likely end their campaign.

India began their World Cup journey on a promising note, defeating Sri Lanka in Guwahati and Pakistan in Colombo. However, recent narrow defeats exposed the vulnerabilities in their five-bowler strategy, as inexperienced pacers Kranti Gaud and Amanjot Kaur struggled under pressure, leaving the spin attack overworked.

Upcoming Fixtures and Tactical Adjustments

India will next face England in Indore on October 19, followed by crucial matches against New Zealand (October 23) and Bangladesh (October 26) at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The team management is reportedly considering the addition of a sixth bowling option to balance the attack.

On the batting front, Smriti Mandhana’s 80 off 66 balls against Australia offered much-needed confidence. Head coach Amol Muzumdar emphasized stability in the batting lineup while maintaining flexibility in the lower order.

“We have a very settled batting lineup and don’t want to make too many changes,” Muzumdar said. “Players like Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma give us flexibility — Deepti, in particular, provides a left-handed option and the ability to rotate strike effectively.”

Eyes on Redemption

As India prepares for their final group fixtures, the focus will also be on maintaining a healthy net run rate, which could prove decisive in semifinal qualification. The team will look to avoid a repeat of the 2022 heartbreak, when a last-over defeat to South Africa in Christchurch ended their campaign and marked the farewell of veteran Mithali Raj.

With faith and determination renewed after their temple visit, the Indian women’s team aims to turn their World Cup campaign around and keep their dream of home glory alive.