Former India skipper Anjum Chopra criticised all-rounder Deepti Sharma’s approach as Team India suffered their third consecutive defeat in the Women’s ODI World Cup, narrowly falling short by just four runs against England on Sunday. While captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana played outstanding innings, India’s batting collapsed after Mandhana’s dismissal, derailing a promising chase. Chopra pointed out that Deepti, despite a composed knock, gave her wicket away to Sophie Ecclestone while attempting a lofted shot toward the biggest boundary—something she deemed “completely unnecessary.” “It was virtually a run-a-ball equation. You have to understand how much hard work goes into getting your team into such a position. That 125-run partnership between Harmanpreet and Smriti was brilliant. They absorbed pressure and gave India control. But after reaching milestones, the concentration just slipped. Look at Smriti’s innings, from 5 to 50, and then 50 to 85; she was in complete control. That hard work deserved a big, match-winning hundred,” Chopra said on JioStar. Chopra added that Deepti may have been trying too hard under pressure. “We spoke about it after the last match as well. She got 80 against Australia and missed a hundred. Perhaps it’s the pressure of chasing or the desire to finish quickly. The same goes for Deepti. Why play an aerial shot on the biggest boundary against Sophie Ecclestone when it’s not needed? You already have a boundary in the over and Amanjot at the other end. It was unnecessary. Maybe it’s just that extra effort players put on themselves under pressure,” she said. Despite her critique, Chopra also praised Deepti’s growth and contributions. “There are a lot of positives. When the team looks back, they’ll see that Deepti, Smriti, and Harmanpreet all contributed significantly. Deepti, in particular, has impressed over the last 12 months. Not only with her batting and bowling, but also her growing understanding of the game.”“Yes, she couldn’t take India over the line, but the way she carried the innings after Harmanpreet’s dismissal, rotating strike, avoiding risky sweep shots, opening up the off-side field, was impressive. The one major area of concern was fielding. India probably gave away 20–30 extra runs, and if those had been saved, the chase could have been much easier,” Chopra concluded.
