India's journey in the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 concluded in disappointment as the team, led by Manika Batra, was eliminated during the group stage. The team faced a tough challenge in Chengdu, China, losing all three of their matches.
Competing in Group 2, India needed to secure victories but ended up losing to Japan, Australia, and Croatia, resulting in an early exit from the tournament. This marks the third consecutive time India has failed to progress beyond the group stage.
Match Against Croatia
In their opening match against Croatia, the Indian team faced a narrow defeat, losing 8-6. The mixed doubles pair of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Diya Chitale lost their match 2-1 to Ivor Ban and Hana Arapovic. Manika Batra also fell short, losing 2-1 to Lea Rakovac in the women's singles.
Despite a strong effort from Manav Thakkar, who lost 3-0 to Tomislav Pucar, Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade managed to win the women's doubles 3-0, keeping India's hopes alive momentarily. However, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Akash Pal could not maintain their lead in the men's doubles, leading to the overall loss.
Match Against Japan
In their second match against Japan, India lost 8-4 despite some impressive performances. The mixed doubles team of Yashaswini Ghorpade and Akash Pal lost 3-0 to Shunsuke Togami and Miwa Harimoto. However, Manika Batra made headlines by defeating world No. 8 and Olympic medallist Mima Ito 2-1, showcasing her talent.
Manav Thakkar also secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Sora Matsushima, ranked 8th globally. Unfortunately, Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade's loss to Mima Ito and Hina Hayata sealed India's fate in this match.
Final Match Against Australia
India's last match in Stage 1 against Australia ended with a score of 8-5 in favor of the Australians. Manav Thakkar and Swastika Ghosh won the opening match 2-1 against Constantina Psihogios and Huwan Bae. However, subsequent losses in the women's and men's singles matches saw Australia take the lead.
The women's doubles match also ended in defeat for Batra and Chitale, and the men's doubles loss for Payas Jain and Akash Pal concluded India's campaign in the tournament.
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