ICC WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2025 Preview - History beckons the female superstars as the most prestigious tournament returns home.

As it clocks almost 2 years since that agonising night on 19 November, where the Indian Men's Cricket fell short at the final hurdle and lost to Australia in the World cup final, it's time for the women’s team to make amends as they gear up for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup that kicks off on September 30.

Along with India, Sri Lanka are the co-hosts as Harmanpreet Kaur and co will try to overcome their own heartbreaks in the previous editions, especially the 2017 one when they were just pipped by then hosts England.

Like the men’s team, the women start as favourites as well as they know the conditions at the back of their hand. In Harman, Smriti Manadana, Jemima Rodrigues and Pratika Rawal, they have a solid top 4 with Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma being the reliable all rounders in the middle, India do look sorted, provided they fix their bowling.

It's a new look side as defending champions Australia enter a tournament for the 1st time without veteran Meg Lanning. The former Australian champions absence will be a big factor in the tournament, but Australia are still favourites as Aleysa Healey, Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield and Tahila McGrath form a formidable top order and with Sophie Molineux, Annabelle Sutherland, Georgia Wareham and the ever consistent Ellyse Perry, the women would look to replicate what their male counterparts did in 2023.

The England Women too have a formidable side but their record has been wayward since the last two editions, where they reached the finals. Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Sophia Dunkley and captain Nat Sciver Brunt have the experience and the firepower to decimate any opposition on a given day, but the team that will play around them is a bit short on experience. A third consecutive final for the Brits looks uncertain until they deliver some terrific performances. 

One team to watch out for though is South Africa. The men are on a roll with a T20 wc runner up trophy and a WTC winners trophy will only motivate the women to put their best foot forward as they look to do the unthinkable- make it 2 ICC trophies in the same year. Laura Wolvaardt and co. have their task cut out as they too like England are short on the bowling department. But what they aren’t short on is the intensity. With a fiery bowling trio that has Marizane Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka and Chloe Tryon, South Africa will look to punch above their weight for the naysayers to stand up and take notice.

New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan have been lacklustre leading up to the tournament and with the above teams a mile ahead of them in terms of experience and skill, it would be a miracle if either of them qualify for the top 4. The one surprise is the absence of the West Indies women's team who have failed to qualify for this edition. 

The games will be hosted at four Indian cricket grounds as well as one in Sri Lanka, which will be used to accommodate Pakistan due to the ICC ruling that any matches involving Pakistan cannot be played within India.The 50-over event, to be held from September 30 to November 2, will feature Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka in a round-robin format. It will be the first women’s global cricket tournament in the subcontinent since India hosted the 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup, and the fourth Women’s ODI World Cup in the country after 1978, 1997 and 2013. President Jay Shah was seen beaming as the tournament returned to India after a decade.

“The return of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 to India comes at a defining moment for the women’s game, setting the stage for a truly world-class tournament that will further elevate the sport’s global stature,” ICC president Jay Shah was quoted saying. The ICC has also increased the prize money for the winner of the marquee event and this is an indication that the women’s tournament has grown in leaps and bounds as compared to the last edition.

Squads for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud.

England: Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

Pakistan: Fatima Sana (c), Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (vc), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Syeda Aroob Shah

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Tazmin Brits, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase

New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 schedule:

Tuesday 30 September: India v Sri Lanka – Bengaluru – 15:00

Wednesday 1 October: Australia v New Zealand – Indore – 15h00

Thursday 2 October: Bangladesh v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00

Friday 3 October: England v South Africa – Bengaluru – 15h00

Saturday 4 October: Australia v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00

Sunday 5 October: India v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00

Monday 6 October: New Zealand v South Africa – Indore – 15h00

Tuesday 7 October: England v Bangladesh – Guwahati – 15h00

Wednesday 8 October: Australia v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00

Thursday 9 October: India v South Africa – Vizag – 15h00

Friday 10 October: New Zealand v Bangladesh – Vizag – 15h00

Saturday 11 October: England v Sri Lanka – Guwahati – 15h00

Sunday 12 October: India v Australia – Vizag – 15h00

Monday 13 October: South Africa v Bangladesh – Vizag – 15h00

Tuesday 14 October: New Zealand v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00

Wednesday 15 October: England v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00

Thursday 16 October: Australia v Bangladesh – Vizag – 15h00

Friday 17 October: South Africa v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00

Saturday 18 October: New Zealand v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00

Sunday 19 October: India v England – Indore – 15h00

Monday 20 October: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh – Colombo – 15h00

Tuesday 21 October: South Africa v Pakistan – Colombo – 15h00

Wednesday 22 October: Australia v England – Indore – 15h00

Thursday 23 October: India v New Zealand – Guwahati – 15h00

Friday 24 October: Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Colombo – 15h00

Saturday 25 October: Australia v Sri Lanka – Indore – 15h00

Sunday 26 October: England v New Zealand – Guwahati – 11h00

Sunday 26 October: India v Bangladesh – Bengaluru – 15h00

Wednesday 29 October: Semi-final 1 – Guwahati/Colombo – 15h00

Thursday 30 October: Semi-final 2 – Bengaluru – 15h00

Sunday 2 November: Final – Colombo/Bengaluru – 15h00