The ICC (International Cricket Council) on Monday, June 16, confirmed the full schedule of the Women's World Cup 2025 to take place in India and Sri Lanka. The eight-team tournament kicks off in Bengaluru on September 30 and ends on November 2 in the city, with Colombo as the other option if Pakistan go that deep into the competition. Indore, Visakhapatnam and Guwahati will be the other three venues with the latter being one of the options alongside Colombo for the first semi-final on October 29, with Bengaluru slated for the second.
Colombo, apart from hosting the Pakistan team in seven matches as per the hybrid arrangement between the two neighbouring nations, their cricket boards and the ICC, will also help Sri Lanka reap the hosting benefits. Sri Lanka are set to play Australia (October 4), New Zealand (October 14), South Africa (October 17) and Bangladesh (October) as well, apart from the obvious game against Pakistan on October 24. All matches will be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
If Pakistan go through to the semi-finals, Colombo will also host the first semi or else Guwahati will get to host its fourth match of the tournament. Bengaluru will host the second semi-final and the big final on October 30 and November 2, with a reserve day for all three matches. Surprisingly, Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the marquee venue, hosts just four matches in the whole tournament
As far as the hosts India are concerned, the Women in Blue will be playing at all five venues. India kick off their tournament in Bengaluru and the league stage ends at the same venue with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, being the opponents, respectively. India play South Africa and Australia in Visakhapatnam on October 9 and 12. Guwahati, Indore and Colombo will be host to India for a game each against New Zealand, England and Pakistan.
India is hosting the first Women's World Cup since 2013 and with the tournament set to clash with the men's series against the West Indies and the off-setting of the monsoon in the country, the prominent venues such as Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai were excluded.