2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup: Schedule, Venues, Teams & Key Highlights

 

The 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be the 13th edition of the prestigious tournament, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from 30 September to 2 November 2025. This edition is historically significant—it will be the last Women’s World Cup to feature eight teams, before the expansion in future editions.

For India, it is the fourth time hosting the Women’s World Cup, after the 1978, 1997, and 2013 editions, while Sri Lanka will be hosting for the first time. Defending champions Australia will aim to retain their crown after securing their seventh title in 2022.

Tournament Overview

• Dates: 30 September – 2 November 2025
• Administrator: International Cricket Council (ICC)
• Cricket Format: Women’s One Day International (WODI)
• Tournament Format: Round-Robin & Knockout Stage
• Hosts: India & Sri Lanka
• Teams: 8
• Matches: 31

The tournament will bring together the world’s top women’s cricket teams—India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

One of the most notable arrangements for this edition is the neutral venue policy for matches between India and Pakistan, applicable to ICC events from 2024 to 2027. This means that in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, India vs. Pakistan fixtures, as well as other Pakistan matches scheduled in India, will be played at neutral venues—in this case, Sri Lanka.

Originally, the tournament was planned across five Indian cities—Indore, Thiruvananthapuram, Nava Raipur, Mullanpur, and Visakhapatnam—with Mullanpur hosting the final. However, the final venue list has changed due to logistical and scheduling considerations and the presence of men’s domestic cricket during the same period.

Final Venues

The ICC announced a hybrid model of hosting with matches across both India and Sri Lanka:

India:

• M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
• Holkar Stadium, Indore
• ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
• Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati

Sri Lanka:

• R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Ahead of the tournament, nine warm-up matches will be played between 25 and 28 September 2025. These matches will not carry WODI or List A status but will serve as valuable preparation for teams.

The competition will follow a round-robin stage, where all eight teams face each other once. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals, followed by the final. This ensures that every team gets a fair chance to prove their consistency before the knockout rounds.

 

2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – Full Schedule

Date	Match	Time (IST)	Venue
30 Sep	India vs Sri Lanka	15:00 (D/N)	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
1 Oct	Australia vs New Zealand	15:00 (D/N)	Holkar Stadium, Indore
2 Oct	Bangladesh vs Pakistan	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
3 Oct	England vs South Africa	15:00 (D/N)	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
4 Oct	Sri Lanka vs Australia	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
5 Oct	India vs Pakistan	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
6 Oct	New Zealand vs South Africa	15:00 (D/N)	Holkar Stadium, Indore
7 Oct	Bangladesh vs England	15:00 (D/N)	Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati
8 Oct	Australia vs Pakistan	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
9 Oct	India vs South Africa	15:00 (D/N)	ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
10 Oct	Bangladesh vs New Zealand	15:00 (D/N)	ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
11 Oct	England vs Sri Lanka	15:00 (D/N)	Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati
12 Oct	India vs Australia	15:00 (D/N)	ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
13 Oct	Bangladesh vs South Africa	15:00 (D/N)	ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
14 Oct	Sri Lanka vs New Zealand	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
15 Oct	England vs Pakistan	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
16 Oct	Australia vs Bangladesh	15:00 (D/N)	ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
17 Oct	Sri Lanka vs South Africa	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
18 Oct	New Zealand vs Pakistan	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
19 Oct	India vs England	15:00 (D/N)	Holkar Stadium, Indore
20 Oct	Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
21 Oct	Pakistan vs South Africa	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
22 Oct	Australia vs England	15:00 (D/N)	Holkar Stadium, Indore
23 Oct	India vs New Zealand	15:00 (D/N)	Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati
24 Oct	Sri Lanka vs Pakistan	15:00 (D/N)	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
25 Oct	Australia vs South Africa	15:00 (D/N)	Holkar Stadium, Indore
26 Oct (Morning)	England vs New Zealand	11:00	Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati
26 Oct (Evening)	India vs Bangladesh	15:00 (D/N)	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

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Knockout Stage

Date	Match	Time (IST)	Venue
29 Oct	Semi-final 1 (1st vs 4th)	15:00 (D/N)	Guwahati or Colombo
30 Oct	Semi-final 2 (2nd vs 3rd)	15:00 (D/N)	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
2 Nov	Final	15:00 (D/N)	Bengaluru or Colombo

Complete Group Stage Fixture Highlights

The schedule ensures even distribution of matches between India and Sri Lanka.

Colombo will host all Pakistan matches, including the much-anticipated India vs. Pakistan game.

Bengaluru, Guwahati, Indore, and Visakhapatnam will host matches involving the host nation, India, with Bengaluru also set to host a semi-final and potentially the final.

Teams to Watch

• Australia: The defending champions are known for their dominance and depth in both batting and bowling.
• India: With home advantage and a strong batting lineup, India will look to secure their maiden Women’s World Cup title.
• England: The 2017 champions remain one of the most balanced teams in the competition.
• New Zealand: Always a strong contender, they will aim to repeat their success from the 2000 edition.

This World Cup is unique for several reasons:

1. Joint Hosting—India and Sri Lanka co-hosting marks a milestone for the women’s game in South Asia.
2. Last 8-Team Format—Future editions are expected to feature more teams, making this the final instance of the smaller, highly competitive group.
3. Neutral Venue Rule – The India-Pakistan political situation has led to an interesting logistical arrangement, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

While official ticket sales dates are yet to be announced, the ICC is expected to follow its digital-first approach, offering fans online booking and mobile ticket access. Fan zones, cultural events, and merchandise stalls are likely to be part of the tournament experience in major venues.

With 31 matches over 34 days, the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup promises a thrilling mix of skill, strategy, and suspense. The final on 2 November 2025 will crown the new (or returning) champion of the women’s game, closing an important chapter in cricket history before the expansion to a larger format.