Despite back-to-back defeats in both the T20I and ODI series against India, England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards remains undeterred, her confidence not only intact but soaring as she sets her vision on the forthcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India secured the T20I series 3-2 and followed it up with a 2-1 victory in the ODIs, marking Charlotte Edwards’ first series defeat since taking over earlier this summer. England missed the presence of senior players, as Heather Knight was sidelined and skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt sat out the last two T20Is due to injury. The setbacks also brought the team’s fielding and pressure handling standards under scrutiny.
“It wasn’t a reality check. We know we can beat India,” she said. With measured resolve, she added, “We are going into a World Cup where we know if we play our best, we can beat any team.”
Edwards framed the series not as a failure but as a vital test, one she believes women’s cricket needs.“We were massively challenged and that’s how we want women’s cricket to be,”she remarked, pointing to these intense clashes as the kind of fire under which Champions are forged.
Indeed, adversity can sharpen a team’s edge, both tactically and mentally. And that edge is exactly what Edwards intends to harness them as England gears up for the global stage.
The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup will get underway on 30 September and wrap up on 2 November, with fixtures taking place across venues in India and Sri Lanka. The competition will see all eight participating teams play each other in a round-robin stage, after which the top four sides will move forward to the semifinals.
With senior players like Heather Knight absent and skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt sidelined after injury, Edwards has already navigated choppy waters but in these, she sees opportunity.
Echoing the wave of optimism, cricket icon Mithali Raj shared her belief that India will be a formidable side if they can capitalise on crucial moments. But she highlighted how responsibility will fall on stalwarts like Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, and Vice Captain Smriti Mandhana, while emerging talents such as Kranti Goud can also stir up surprise performances.
In the high-stakes arena of international women’s cricket, it’s often how you respond that defines your journey. And as England Women embark on their World Cup bid in less than 45 days, Charlotte Edwards is making it clear: their resolve is not just unbroken, it’s unbounded.
