The Women’s ODI World Cup is gearing up for an electrifying start on 30th September in Bengaluru, as India faces Sri Lanka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Much anticipation surrounds the India vs Pakistan encounter, set for 5th October at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, a neutral venue designed to accommodate the current India-Pakistan relations. The India-Bangladesh match is slated for a return to Bengaluru on 26th October.
In Indore, defending champions Australia begin their title defence on 1st October against New Zealand at Holkar Stadium, followed by a game against Pakistan on 8th October in Colombo. The much-awaited Australia-England match, a repeat of the last final, will occur on 22nd October in Indore.
Pakistan will host all their fixtures in Colombo due to the hybrid agreement between the BCCI and the PCB. Their schedule includes matches against Bangladesh (2nd October), England (15th October), New Zealand (18th October), South Africa (21st October), and Sri Lanka (24th October).
England’s noteworthy games include a 3rd October face-off against South Africa in Bengaluru, with further matches in Guwahati against Sri Lanka (11th October) and New Zealand (26th October).
Highlighted Fixtures:
– 30th Sept: India vs Sri Lanka, Bengaluru
– 1st Oct: Australia vs New Zealand, Indore
– 3rd Oct: South Africa vs England, Bengaluru
– 5th Oct: India vs Pakistan, Colombo
– 6th Oct: South Africa vs New Zealand, Indore
– 11th Oct: Sri Lanka vs England, Guwahati
– 15th Oct: Pakistan vs England, Colombo
– 22nd Oct: England vs Australia, Indore
– 25th Oct: South Africa vs Australia, Indore
– 26th Oct (Day): England vs New Zealand, Guwahati
– 26th Oct: India vs Bangladesh, Bengaluru
– 29th Oct: Semi-final 1, Guwahati/Colombo
– 30th Oct: Semi-final 2, Bengaluru
– 2nd Nov: Final, Bengaluru/Colombo
Bangladesh will also play three games at Visakhapatnam’s ACA-VDCA Stadium following their opener against Pakistan, and one match against Sri Lanka in Colombo on 20th October. South Africa’s notable fixtures include New Zealand (6th October) and Australia (25th October) in Indore.
The hybrid agreement for Pakistan’s games arose from current strained India-Pakistan ties, mirrored by India’s decision to play their 2025 Champions Trophy matches in Dubai instead of Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board accordingly opted out of future India-hosted tournaments.
This World Cup edition will have 28 league games, followed by three knockout rounds at various venues, including Bengaluru, Indore, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo. The first semi-final on 29th October will happen either in Guwahati or Colombo, while the second takes place in Bengaluru the next day. The grand final is scheduled for 2nd November in either Bengaluru or Colombo.
For India, this is the first time hosting since 2013. The tournament format remains unchanged from 2022, with each of the eight teams facing each other once, leading to semi-finals for the top four.
Apart from hosts India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka qualified directly. Pakistan and Bangladesh secured the last spots at the Lahore qualifiers. Unfortunately, West Indies fell short, outpaced by Bangladesh on net run-rate during qualifiers.
Updates to follow as the tournament approaches.
