India Launch Title Quest in Women's ODI World Cup 2025 Against Sri Lanka
Harmanpreet Kaur leads hosts in opening clash as tournament returns to Indian soil.
The 13th edition of the ICC Women's ODI World Cup kicks off today, September 30, 2025, with hosts India facing co-hosts Sri Lanka in the tournament opener at the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium in Guwahati. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur's Indian side enters the fray with renewed optimism, aiming to end a long wait for their maiden title.
India has reached the final twice before—losing by nine runs to England in 2017 at Lord's and falling short in earlier editions—but the team has shown marked improvement since finishing runners-up to Australia in the 2022 tournament. This marks India's fourth time hosting the event, previously in 1978, 1997, and 2013, while Sri Lanka participates as co-hosts for the first time.
The tournament features eight teams—India, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, England, and South Africa—competing in a single round-robin group stage across five venues in India and Sri Lanka. Due to geopolitical considerations, all matches involving Pakistan will be held at neutral venues in Sri Lanka, as per an ICC agreement finalized in December 2024 and updated in June 2025.
Recent form adds intrigue: India lost a home ODI series 2-1 to Australia earlier this month but impressed with explosive batting from opener Smriti Mandhana and promising bowling from pacer Kranti Goud, who claimed five wickets alongside Australia's Megan Schutt. Warm-up matches from September 25-28 allowed teams to acclimatize to subcontinental conditions ahead of the 31-match showdown.
**Group Stage Schedule:**
- Sep 30: India vs Sri Lanka (ACA Stadium, Guwahati)
- Oct 1: Australia vs New Zealand (Holkar Stadium, Indore)
- Oct 2: Bangladesh vs Pakistan (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 3: England vs South Africa (ACA Stadium, Guwahati)
- Oct 4: Australia vs Sri Lanka (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 5: India vs Pakistan (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 6: New Zealand vs South Africa (Holkar Stadium, Indore)
- Oct 7: England vs Bangladesh (ACA Stadium, Guwahati)
- Oct 8: Australia vs Pakistan (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 9: India vs South Africa (ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
- Oct 10: New Zealand vs Bangladesh (ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
- Oct 11: England vs Sri Lanka (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 12: India vs Australia (ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
- Oct 13: South Africa vs Bangladesh (ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
- Oct 14: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 15: England vs Pakistan (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 16: Australia vs Bangladesh (ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
- Oct 17: South Africa vs Sri Lanka (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 18: New Zealand vs Pakistan (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 19: India vs England (Holkar Stadium, Indore)
- Oct 20: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai)
- Oct 21: South Africa vs Pakistan (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 22: Australia vs England (Holkar Stadium, Indore)
- Oct 23: India vs New Zealand (DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai)
- Oct 24: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka (R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
- Oct 25: Australia vs South Africa (Holkar Stadium, Indore)
- Oct 26 (AM): England vs New Zealand (11:00 AM IST, ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
- Oct 26 (PM): India vs Bangladesh (DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai)
Also Read: Chamari Athapaththu Hopes Asian Nation Breaks World Cup Title Drought
**Knockout Stage:**
- Oct 29: Semi-final 1 (3:00 PM IST, Guwahati or Colombo*)
- Oct 30: Semi-final 2 (3:00 PM IST, DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai)
- Nov 2: Final (3:00 PM IST, Navi Mumbai or Colombo**)
*Colombo if Pakistan qualifies for SF1. **Colombo if Pakistan reaches final. The top four teams advance to semifinals.
Fans in India can catch all the action live on Star Sports channels (Star Sports 1 SD/HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi SD/HD, Star Sports 2 SD/HD, Star Sports 2 Hindi SD/HD), with streaming available on Disney+ Hotstar. Globally, matches will be broadcast through various partners, including ICC.tv for regions without dedicated coverage, ensuring widespread accessibility.
As the event unfolds, it promises thrilling contests and a showcase of women's cricket's rising global stature.
Also Read: Sunil Chhetri Joins India Camp Ahead of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers
