India Aims for Maiden Women’s World Cup Title

MUMBAI: Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur voiced her strong desire to guide her team to victory in the upcoming Women’s World Cup. The tournament is set to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, spanning from September 30 to November 2.

After failing to progress beyond the group stage in the 2022 edition, India will inaugurate their World Cup campaign in 2025 against Sri Lanka on September 30.

India’s previous best performance in the Women’s World Cup was finishing as the second-place team, a feat they accomplished in both 2005 and 2017.

Speaking at an event marking 50 days until the tournament, Kaur emphasized the team’s determination to overcome challenges while benefiting from the support of the home crowd, also pointing to their form in recent matches.

“Competing before our fans is always a privilege. We’re aiming to give our all and finally achieve the success that Indian supporters are waiting for,” Kaur stated.

“Our confidence is very high due to the amount of cricket we’ve played recently. We want to maintain our current level of performance. Our mindset and fearless approach will be key,” she further added.

The 2025 Women’s World Cup will see eight teams compete in a round-robin format, with each team playing each other once. The top four teams will then proceed to the semi-finals. Matches are scheduled to be held in Bengaluru, Vizag, Indore, Guwahati, and Colombo.

One semi-final is slated for Bengaluru, while the other will be held in either Colombo or Guwahati. The final match will occur on November 2, with Bengaluru and Colombo being considered as possible venues.

Each team will also engage in two warm-up matches, commencing on September 24. India is scheduled to face England in Bengaluru, followed by a match against South Africa in Guwahati on September 27.

The 2025 tournament represents the 13th edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, which began in 1973. Australia, who won their seventh title in 2022, secured automatic qualification by leading the ICC Women’s Championship standings.

England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and India also qualified directly. Pakistan and Bangladesh secured the remaining two spots by finishing in the top two at the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in April.