By Trisha Ghosal in Guwahati
When the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 gets underway at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, all eyes will turn to two southpaws who have been the heartbeat of their teams – Smriti Mandhana and Chamari Athapaththu. For India and Sri Lanka respectively, their journeys at this tournament begin and end with their left-hand openers. Both will be walking out for their third ODI World Cup, both have been carrying the burden of expectations, and both know that if they don’t fire, their teams will struggle to breathe.
Since the last World Cup, Mandhana has been peerless. She sits atop the global run charts with 2,100 runs in 37 innings at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 99.15, decorated with 10 fifties and 8 hundreds. The next Indian name on that list is Harmanpreet Kaur, nearly 1,000 runs behind with 1,167. That gap says it all: India may have a batting line-up on paper, but consistency begins and ends with Mandhana.
Athapaththu’s story runs parallel. At seventh on the same list, she has amassed 1,252 runs in 31 innings at 46.37 and a strike rate of 98.19, with 5 fifties and 4 centuries. Harshitha Samarawickrama is the closest Sri Lankan with 822 runs, more than 400 fewer. For years now, Athapaththu has been Sri Lanka’s spark, the player opponents plan around, and the one her teammates rally behind.
The numbers only deepen the narrative. In matches where India win, Mandhana averages 66.75. For Sri Lanka, Athapaththu soars to a scarcely believable 101.87. When they play long innings, their teams usually win. When they fall early, the batting behind them is rarely enough.
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So as the Guwahati crowd prepares for the first ball of the World Cup, the contest feels less about India versus Sri Lanka and more about Mandhana versus Athapaththu. Two left-handers, separated by borders but bound by responsibility, will stride out with the same purpose: to give their side a chance. One will dominate the headlines tonight. The question is: who will script the perfect opening act?