The ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 is set to commence on September 30 and run through November 2, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. This marks the 13th edition of the tournament and the return of the Women's World Cup to India after 12 years.
The schedule has been officially announced, revealing that the highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan will take place on October 5 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This neutral venue was chosen due to the hybrid hosting arrangement agreed upon by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The tournament will feature eight teams competing in a round-robin format, with each team playing the other once. The top four teams at the end of the league stage will advance to the semi-finals. A total of 28 league matches and three knockout games will be played.
India will kick off their campaign against Sri Lanka on September 30 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Following the match against Pakistan, India's other fixtures include South Africa on October 9 and Australia on October 12, both in Visakhapatnam. They will then face England on October 19 in Indore, New Zealand on October 23 in Guwahati and Bangladesh on October 26 back in Bengaluru.
Pakistan, having secured their spot through the World Cup Qualifiers in Lahore, will play all their matches in Colombo. This arrangement mirrors India's decision to play their 2025 Champions Trophy fixtures in Dubai, rather than traveling to Pakistan, due to ongoing diplomatic tensions.
Defending champions Australia will begin their title defense against New Zealand on October 1 in Indore. They will then face Pakistan in Colombo on October 8, followed by a rematch of the 2022 final against England on October 22 in Indore.
The venues for the tournament are spread across five cities: Bengaluru, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam in India, and Colombo in Sri Lanka. The first semi-final is scheduled for October 29 and will be held in either Guwahati or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan qualifies. The second semi-final will take place in Bengaluru on October 30. The final is set for November 2 and will be hosted in either Bengaluru or Colombo, again contingent on Pakistan's qualification.
The eight teams participating in the World Cup are India, Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Australia qualified as the defending champions, while India and Sri Lanka qualified as hosts. The other teams qualified through the ICC Women's Championship and the Women's World Cup Qualifiers.