Mumbai: The 13th Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup kicks off today, with hosts India locking horns with Sri Lanka in the opening match at 3 PM at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium.
Eight teams — India, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Africa — will battle for glory across 31 matches. Venues include Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Navi Mumbai, while Colombo will host 11 games, including all of Pakistan’s fixtures. The final is set for November 2 in Navi Mumbai, unless Pakistan qualifies, in which case it will be staged in Colombo.
Defending champions Australia, with a record seven titles, are strong favorites. England have won four times, New Zealand once, while India, twice runners-up (2005, 2017), are chasing their long-awaited maiden crown.
Leading India is Harmanpreet Kaur, captaining the side for the first time in her fifth World Cup appearance. She will be supported by stars like Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, and Deepti Sharma.
India enters the tournament with 37 wins from 70 World Cup matches across 10 editions, and fans are hopeful that 2025 could be the year the team finally clinches the trophy.
